Milwaukee Can't Require Affordable Housing in Privately Financed Developments

The city of Milwaukee is moving forward with an amended inclusionary zoning plan that would require city-financed project.

"The proposal would require developers building city-financed apartment buildings with 20 or more units to set aside 20 percent of all new units for residents making less than 60 percent of the county’s median income for a period of 30 years," reports Jeramey Jannene. "An earlier version of the plan impacted both public and privately financed projects."

The decision to only require affordable housing in city-financed projects responds to concerns about state law and a precedent setting decision by the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.

The proposed inclusionary zoning law, as currently written, would "cover part or all of the neighborhoods of East Town, Westown, the Lower East Side, The Brewery, Historic Third Ward and Walker’s Point."