HUDSON — Nationwide, housing costs are skyrocketing as more families lack access to a safe, affordable and decent place to call home. Here in Wisconsin, every 1 in 9 households pay half or more of their income on housing.

Alongside hundreds of local Habitat organizations and affordable housing advocates, last week in Washington, D.C., St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity met with U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson and U.S. Congressmembers Derrick Van Orden, Gwen Moore, and Tom Tiffany to urge action and prioritization of policies that will increase the number of affordable homes, especially for homeownership.

Congress can respond to this need by supporting vital housing and community development programs in 2025 and through the passage of the bipartisan Neighborhood Homes Investment Act.

There are a number of federal solutions that can help increase the number of affordable homes across the country. In Wisconsin, there is a shortage of 56,806 homes relative to demand. Housing affordability fell 9.7% from December 2022 to December 2023. During that same time period, the income needed to purchase a median-priced home in Wisconsin was $59,157 – up more than $10,000. In Pierce and St. Croix Counties, where SCVHFH serves, the Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom housing unit is $1,622/month. That figure is 61% higher than the Wisconsin average, and the most expensive in the state, according to 2023 National Low Income Housing Corporation and UShousingdata.com statistics. “Housing is out of reach for many in our communities,” SCVHFH Executive Director Kristie Smith said. “In Hudson, the median home sales price was $575,000 in December 2023. We are meeting with our elected officials to address this crisis collectively and asking congress to fully fund the USDA 502 Loan program, Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and the bipartisan Neighborhood Homes Investment Act to bring more federal dollars to our rural and exurban communities. Housing should be accessible and affordable for everyone in our neighborhoods.”

The Habitat affiliate makes use of the Department of Agriculture’s USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program to help keep mortgages affordable and accessible for new homebuyers in Pierce & St. Croix Counties.

St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity helps families with safe, affordable housing. In 1996, community members recognized the critical need to bring people together to build housing, communities and hope and founded the local, nonprofit Habitat affiliate. In its tenure, SCV Habitat for Humanity has partnered with more than 84 families in Pierce and St. Croix Counties to help achieve the goal of home ownership. Visit scvhabitat.org for homeowner and volunteer information and to support the mission to help families on the path to generational wealth.

Submitted by St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity