Milwaukee needs affordable homes
of all shapes & sizes,
for all of our neighbors.
Our community cannot find housing options that meet their needs & their budgets. There is a better way.
We have come together as a group of community organizations and leaders to support common-sense changes to our city ordinances that will bring about more affordable and suitable housing choices for Milwaukee residents.
Our community needs more housing options
Milwaukee faces a shortage of safe and affordable homes across our neighborhoods.
According to the 2022 ‘Housing Underproduction’ report from Up for Growth, The Milwaukee area has a shortage of over 15,000 homes because not enough housing has been built since 2012 (not even counting population growth since 2020). The housing shortage is caused by laws that prevent the construction of affordable housing types like starter homes, duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings.
Amidst this shortage, rents have risen dramatically, with Milwaukee now averaging nearly $1,700 per month for rent – one of the highest rates of any midwestern city.
Affordable housing options like this duplex are more naturally affordable but are banned neighborhoods across the city.
Milwaukee has a choice:
Unaffordable sprawl or starter homes near jobs?
Once attainable suburbs have become too expensive for families, with unaffordably large houses and long commutes.
Across Milwaukee, young people and young families can’t find housing close to their parents and grandparents, young adults can’t move out of their parents’ homes, and the people our communities rely on- like teachers, childcare workers, and hospitality workers- can’t find housing near job centers causing longer commutes, wasted personal time, and more unnecessary pollution.
We can expand the number of starter homes by allowing houses to be built and sold on more modest plots of land, and re-legalizing townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes.
Affordable options like townhouses can be starter homes for young families and workers.
Milwaukee seniors should have the freedom to age in place or downsize.
With few age-friendly housing options available, many seniors are stuck in housing unfit for their changing needs.
In Milwaukee, allowing smaller, age-friendly homes means seniors will be able to find quality housing that meets their needs to age in place in the communities they helped to build, and will help empty-nesters downsize from larger family homes, making space for younger families.
We can extend seniors the freedom they have earned to choose to age in place or downsize by legalizing backyard cottages, and expanding housing options near jobs and amenities like health care providers.
Backyard cottages can allow seniors the ability to age in place.
Milwaukee can replace traffic with neighborhoods close to jobs.
Milwaukee should allow more homes near job centers and transit to relieve the traffic that comes from sprawl.
Our exclusionary zoning rules push new housing further away from job centers, forcing people to spend more time in their cars, cutting into quality time with their children and families.
Changing the rules to allow more homes of different sizes and at different price points will allow more Milwaukee residents to find homes they can afford, close to school, jobs, and grocery stores.
Allowing more housing in commercial areas will give more Milwaukeeans the opportunity to walk, bike, or take transit to work.
Milwaukee can make important, common sense changes to allow more attainable homes to be built.
Milwaukee has an opportunity to remove these common policy barriers to more attainable housing by allowing more home types throughout the city. When there are not enough homes, the wealthy will always outbid working people, and everyone else has to move farther away. Unless we build more homes to buy or rent, people will be priced out of the places where they grew up or built their lives.
Our campaign is seeking to pass zoning standards in Milwaukee to raise the standard for everyone. As the Common Council considers important changes to make building more homes possible, your voice is needed. Milwaukee elected officials need to hear from you to understand how the lack of affordable and attainable homes in our community have impacted you and your family.
We are community organizations, housing advocates, and city leaders who believe Milwaukee can become affordable for all it’s residents.
To join the Housing More Milwaukeeans Coalition, learn more about municipal zoning standards, or just stay in touch, email carl@1kfriends.org.