Short-term living stipends, additional units discussed by Wausau Affordable Housing Task Force

Damakant Jayshi

Wausau’s Affordable Housing Task Force on Wednesday discussed ways to address the affordable housing shortage in the city, including providing short-term stipends to offset living expenses and possibly building additional units.

In addition to these steps, Sarah Watson, chair of the Affordable Housing Task Force, told Wausau Pilot & Review other options “would be giving landlords funds to upgrade units while keep them under fair market prices.”

No formal recommendations have been made but the group is preparing a presentation on their suggestions to share with the City Council at their meeting on June 14.

The Affordable Housing Task Force will meet again on at 2 p.m. on May 18, said Tammy Stratz, the city’s Community Development Manager. “At our next meeting we will be brainstorming to see if we can prioritize to make recommendations for (the City) Council,” she told Wausau Pilot & Review.

The housing crisis has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Members of AHTF haven calling for building more units for rent at prices residents can afford.

Wausau Pilot & Review reported in January a sharp increase in rent in the community. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Wausau increased by 40% to $830, and the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment increased by 5% to $1,099, according to data compiled by Zumper, a rental marketplace website. The skyrocketing prices were fueled by rising demand throughout the metro area that diminished an already low supply of multi-family housing, further inundated by labor and supply shortages delaying new construction.

Many of the city’s unhoused population live in warming shelters that will shut down soon. Some use parking ramps in the city for shelter. Watson suggested the city could emulate the example of other municipalities that have “used a municipal land bank to help provide more affordable housing and to rejuvenate blighted properties.”

“Many of the surrounding states including Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan have state statutes allowing for the creation of municipal land banks,” Watson said. “Sadly, Wisconsin does not have that state statute, but I’m wondering if it could be an alternative way to address some of the housing issues we have. I’m still in my early investigation of this option.”