Report: Wisconsin Zoning Rules Hold Back Housing Production

According to a new report from Forward Analytics, Wisconsin needs between 140,000 and 227,000 new housing units by 2030, but restrictive zoning regulations are exacerbating the shortage and preventing new multifamily housing construction, reports Joe Schulz for Wisconsin Public Radio.

“The report said the number of baby boomers retiring and remaining in their homes long after retirement is expected to exacerbate Wisconsin’s housing shortage, making it difficult for younger workers to find affordable housing,” Schulz writes. 

A toolkit developed by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities suggests “small tweaks to zoning codes that will offer more flexibility for multifamily housing units and mixed-use housing developments.” The toolkit recommends loosening regulations in single-family neighborhoods, permitting more accessory dwelling units, and getting rid of parking minimums, among other changes.

As we regularly cover on Planetizen, zoning reform has taken center stage in the debate over how to alleviate the national housing crisis. But as Schulz notes, zoning changes alone won’t solve the problem. “The Forward Analytics report said the two biggest obstacles for building more housing over the next decade are a lack of available lots and high interest rates slowing home construction.”