Earlier this week on Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil spotted his shadow and declared six more weeks of winter. In Wisconsin, we saw something entirely different: a housing shortage that’s been lingering far longer than any cold winter.
The problem isn’t hard to spot. Wisconsin simply isn’t building enough homes. Construction levels remain well below historic norms, housing inventory is tight and prices keep rising. When housing supply falls short, buyers compete even more fiercely, affordability slips, and buyers are left waiting for options that never appear.
Momentum is starting to build at the Wisconsin Capitol, and this where solutions matter.
What can we do?
We can focus on policies that make it easier to build the homes Wisconsin needs. That means prioritizing supply and reducing barriers in the housing shortage.
- SB 180/AB 194 proposes to provide more flexibility in the WHEDA loan program to allow developers to use residential infrastructure loans in communities across the state, helping more construction projects move from paper to reality.
- SB 480/AB 451 proposes to create a targeted residential tax increment tool to support workforce housing and entry-level housing — the kind of “missing middle” housing in high demand but short supply.
These proposals won’t magically end winter. But they do tackle the real issue behind high prices and low inventory: supply. You can’t make housing more affordable without building more of it.
So while the groundhog predicted more winter, Wisconsin doesn’t have to accept more years of housing scarcity. With smart policy choices and a focus on supply, we can finally start to thaw the market — no shadow required.
