Housing
Advocacy
We believe everyone has a right to safe, affordable housing. But right now, the average Wisconsinite cannot afford the average Wisconsin home. Get involved and help us build a community where all feel they belong.
Want to get involved? Start here:
Our advocacy goals
Local
Our team is currently advocating for comprehensive zoning reform in the City of La Crosse. Zoning directly impacts housing: the code tells us where you can build, what you can build, and what you can do with what you build.
The city's current code, which hasn't been updated in over 40 years, makes it difficult for housing developers like Habitat to build modest, affordable homes.
Help us advocate for zoning reform!
Visit Forward La Crosse to learn more and get the latest updates.
State
We did it!
In partnership with Habitat affiliates across the state of Wisconsin, we successfully lobbied for the passage of the Wisconsin Workforce Housing Bill. Gov. Tony Evers signed the bill in April 2026
Read the full press release here.
In Wisconsin, the median home sale price in 2023 is $260k, up from $135k in 2012. The Wisconsin Workforce Housing Program would help break down barriers to homeownership by providing gap financing for first-time homebuyers with incomes up to 100% of area median income (AMI).
Federal
We advocate for housing policies at the national level through action alerts and by attending the annual Habitat on the Hill D.C. Here are our current national priorities:
HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) are resources used to develop new homes and ensure housing affordability for Habitat clients. With increasing land and construction costs and stagnating wages, these resources are vital in providing access to homeownership for working-class families.
The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) would provide a federal tax credit to build and rehabilitate homes for lower and middle-income families. Habitat La Crosse could utilize the NHIA to support the financing of new construction or rehab.
Housing Advocacy Committee
The Housing Advocacy Committee is a grassroots collaboration of entities concerned about affordable housing. This group includes representatives from:
Couleecap, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, Western Technical College, Legal Action of Wisconsin, YWCA-La Crosse, Cia Siab, Inc., USDA, School District of La Crosse, UW-Madison Division of UW Extension - La Crosse County, African American Mutual Assistance Network, Marine Credit Union Foundation, and Coulee Collaboration to End Homelessness
What We Do
- Bring attention to challenges people in our community face regarding affordable housing
- Advocate for legislation and policy changes that address these challenges locally and at the state level
- Share resources and host events that increase awareness of common housing problems and solutions
Want to learn more?
Contact:
Natalie Heneghan
Community Outreach Director
[email protected]
(608) 860-8725