PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. – Members of the Kenosha County Housing Task Force gathered Tuesday at the Aurora Pleasant Prairie Ambulatory Surgery Center to share progress on their collaborative effort to address the county’s persistent housing shortage.
The task force, launched in late 2024 by the Kenosha Area Business Alliance and Kenosha County government, brings together a broad coalition of stakeholders—developers, nonprofit leaders, real estate professionals, local government officials, major employers, and financing experts—to explore solutions for expanding housing availability across the county.
Since the full group’s inaugural meeting last November, three subcommittees have been working behind the scenes to research challenges and craft recommendations in the following focus areas:
- Financial tools to support development
- Zoning, planning, and design standards
- Marketing and promotions to raise awareness and support
Tuesday’s meeting featured updates from each of the subcommittees and presentations on complementary housing efforts in the region.
Representatives from Livable Kenosha, a coalition focused on inclusive housing, presented survey results gathered by the Kenosha Achievement Center (KAC) on housing needs for seniors and people with disabilities. The data, collected earlier this year, aims to guide future development plans that better accommodate aging and mobility-challenged residents.
Kelly Westlund, a Housing Outreach Specialist with the UW-Extension in Bayfield County, shared insights on forming community land trusts—an increasingly popular tool in rural and urban areas to preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement.
Kenosha County Geographic Information Systems Analyst Joshua Birndorf also debuted a web-based application in development, which will allow residents and developers to access detailed zoning and infrastructure maps more easily. The tool is intended to reduce red tape and help expedite housing projects.
The subcommittees plan to continue meeting throughout the summer with the goal of completing a countywide housing action plan by the end of 2025.
County officials and business leaders say they hope the plan will not only identify barriers to housing development but also create momentum for projects that meet the community’s needs at all income levels.
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6 Responses
Waste of time
Unless this group is out there swinging a hammer it’s a huge waste of time.
Government shouldn’t be involved with the housing market. If there’s red tape involved in building get rid of it.
I don’t know were the new people in the area live when they come for Uline or Amazon jobs. Let employers build housing for employees (sound familiar) but it could work 🤷♀️
Defund it all. Nothing but welfare addicts and illegals taking all the handouts. Fuckem! Why should i/we taxpayers keep paying for the degenerate scumbags. This is communism. Forced at gunpoint to pay for someone else who refuses to. Get a job.
Couldn’t agree more!
We don’t want more housing and people here you idiots. The city is overflowing with traffic already
Couldn’t agree more! Move along. Move elsewhere.