Northwoods housing gap strains job market

It’s no secret the Northwoods is grappling with housing and workforce challenges, and on June 9, the Oneida County Economic and Development Corporation (OCEDC) released the results of its housing study. OCEDC partnered with the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission for the study in order to identify types of housing needed and how to meet those demands.

According to the summary report of the study, 217 rental units and 1,141 owner occupied units are needed by 2030. Those conclusions were based on the state’s official household projections. 

According to the summary report:
“The study recommends focusing on maintaining and enhancing existing housing while attracting new construction. These prices are the lowest possible with new construction, and they benefit middle and upper-income households by increasing availability. This frees up existing housing that is more affordable for lower incomes too as households move up, ensuring that the local workforce can live and work in Oneida County long-term.”
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The summary report lists what employers in Oneida County said. 

That list showed: new hires have difficulties finding housing, especially temporary employees and those looking for turn-key living spaces when they are relocating from another region; available housing is in poor condition; those who successfully find housing to work, tend to stay in Oneida County long-term; geographic features and availability of land and utilities pose issues to construct new housing; builders are hard to find and have long wait-lists; and some employers offer housing to seasonal employees, such as studios or dormitory-style housing.

According to the summary report, 57.5 percent of respondents of the study said they currently own a home and aren’t interested in moving. Additionally, 26.8 percent of respondents said they currently owned housing or were renting and were looking to buy a new home. Less than 2 percent of respondents who currently owned homes wanted to rent instead.

Those looking to rent wanted two or three bedroom living spaces and two bathrooms. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they struggled to afford their current housing and there’s an interest in rent assistance. It’s hard to find single-family homes to rent, the summary report noted. 

On the other hand, those looking to buy wanted three to four bedroom living spaces and two bathrooms. Over half of respondents said they wanted a larger home and competition was high when trying to buy. It’s also hard to find multi-generational, low maintenance and aging-in-place homes, the summary report noted. 

All respondents showed interest in wanting to own instead of rent and those who already own see a need for more housing. Over 40 percent of respondents said they or someone they knew turned down a job in Oneida County because of housing issues on top of costs growing for things like utilities, groceries and childcare. Those living outside Oneida County, but work in the county, want to live in the county. Many homes in the county are in poor shape and need expensive repairs, the summary report noted.  

The summary report listed 10 of its top recommendations moving forward. 

Those recommendations included: subdivision and zoning ordinance revisions to allow for smaller lots, reduced setbacks, a greater variety of housing styles and more to reduce construction costs; develop up-to-date comprehensive plans to help apply for statewide programs intended to address housing shortages; selling unused land to spur development and increase tax bases; developer outreach by OCEDC; local educational events to help buyers navigate the process of homeownership; build local, state and regional partnerships to identify emerging funding sources, policies and opportunities; OCEDC following through on implementing ways to address issues highlighted by the housing study; urge communities in the county to implement tax incremental finance districting to incentivize new development and protect taxpayers; preserve current housing by identifying funding programs; and OCEDC continuing to monitor the housing study as the county changes over time and to keep the public aware.

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].