Affordable housing dominates public hearing

Ten of the fourteen speakers at tonight's public hearing addressed the need for more affordable housing in Waukesha County. The public hearing was conducted by the Waukesha County Park and Planning Commission at the Waukesha County Expo. Center, to consider adoption of the updated Waukesha County Development Plan.

The 10 speakers who addressed affordable housing all opposed the adoption of the development plan in its current form because it lacks concrete measures to provide more affordable housing for the county's workforce, for those in the county who have disabilities or are elderly, and for the next generation of the county's families. Five active members of the Waukesha County Affordable Housing Task Force spoke, also representing SOPHIA, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, and IndependenceFirst. Two other speakers were from organizations that officially endorse the creation of a county housing trust fund, Community Action Coalition of South Central Wisconsin, Inc. and Disability Rights Wisconsin. The remaining three spoke as county residents or on behalf of Pledl Law Office.

Several speakers objected to the plan's recommendation that the County work with municipalities to study the feasibility of an affordable housing trust fund, because it fails to commit to establishing a housing trust fund on a county level and unnecessarily requests further study of a well-defined problem. The task force is recommending the following wording instead: "The County will work with affordable housing stake holders to create an affordable housing trust fund at the county level." It's been done elsewhere. There are 83 county housing trust funds nationally, according to the Center for Community Change.

If you'd like to submit written comments about the comprehensive development plan, it's not too late. You have until Thursday, Jan. 15 at 4:30 p.m. to submit them, to:
Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use
Attn: Comprehensive Development Plan Hearing
515 W. Moreland Blvd., Room AC 230
Waukesha, WI 53188
FAX: 262-896-8071