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State Data Overview
Across Wisconsin, there is a shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low income households (ELI), whose incomes are at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income (AMI). Many of these households are severely cost burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing. Severely cost burdened poor households are more likely than other renters to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, and to experience unstable housing situations like evictions.
Housing Profiles
Wisconsin
Key Facts
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180,809 OR 22%
Renter households that are extremely low-income
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-117,934
Shortage of rental homes affordable and available for extremely low-income renters
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$30,930
Average income limit for 4-person extremely low income household
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$51,499
Annual household income needed to afford a two-bedroom rental home at HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR)
Impact on Low-Wage Workers
A minimum wage worker would need to work:
- 112 hours per week or 2.8 full-time jobs to afford a 1-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
- 137 hours per week or 3.4 full-time jobs to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
Most Expensive Areas 2-Bedroom Housing Wage Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington HMFA $32.87 Madison HMFA $32.58 Kenosha MSA $26.96 Milwaukee-Waukesha MSA $25.73 Janesville-Beloit MSA $23.96 Common Occupations Median Hourly Wage Nursing Assistants $22.30 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $18.29 Home Health and Personal Care Aides $17.96 Retail Salespersons $17.04 Fast Food and Counter Workers $14.13 Solutions
- Provide significant resources to build and preserve homes affordable to renters with the lowest incomes through investments in public housing and the national Housing Trust Fund
- Encourage states and local communities to reform zoning and land use regulations that prevent housing from being built and push up housing costs
- Bridge the gap between incomes and housing costs by expanding rental assistance so that it is universally available to all eligible households or consider other innovative approaches, such as a fully refundable renters’ tax credit
- Prevent evictions and homelessness by creating permanent tools, such as emergency rental assistance, to help stabilize families in crisis
- Other federal housing resources, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, should be reformed to better address the shortage of rental housing affordable to the lowest-income households.
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State Level Partners
NLIHC Housing Advocacy Organizer
Thaddaeus Elliott
State PartnersWisconsin Community Action Program Association
30 W Mifflin Street, Suite 406
Madison, WI 53703Marlo Fields, Policy and Housing Programs Manager
[email protected]Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development, Inc.
821 East Washington Avenue, Suite 200W,
Madison, WI 53703Todd Mandel, Executive Director
[email protected]Become an NLIHC State Partner
NLIHC’s affiliation with our state coalition partners is central to our advocacy efforts. Although our partners' involvement varies, they are all housing and homeless advocacy organizations engaged at the state and federal level. Many are traditional coalitions with a range of members; others are local organizations that serve more informally as NLIHC's point of contact.
Inquire about becoming a state partner by contacting [email protected]
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Housing Trust FundHTF Implementation Information
NLIHC continues working with leaders in each state and the District of Columbia who will mobilize advocates in support of HTF allocation plans that benefit ELI renters to the greatest extent possible. Please contact the point person coordinating with NLIHC in your state (below) to find out about the public participation process and how you can be involved. Email Courtney Cooperman with any questions.
Current Year HTF Allocation$12,144,277
HTF State Resources2020
Request for Applications (PDF)
HTF Application FAQs (PDF)
HTF Scoring Items (PDF)
2019
Request for Applications (PDF)
Threshold Items (PDF)
Scoring Items (PDF)
2018
2018 HTF Allocation Plan (PDF)
2018 Annual Action Plan, HTF-specific on page 85 (PDF)
Request for Applications (PDF)
Threshold Items (PDF)
Scoring Items (PDF)
2017
2017 Final HTF Allocation Plan (PDF)
Draft 2017 Allocation Plan (PDF)
Introduction and Request for Applications, 2016 and 2017 (PDF)
Threshold Items (PDF)
Scoring Items (PDF)
2016
WHEDA is awarding 2016 HTF funds in conjunction with 2017 HTF funds, see material above.
HTF Allocation Plan (PDF) submitted to HUD March 2017
Applications for HTF submitted by January 31, 2017 (PDF)
Information sheet on HTF and public participation dated June 2016 (PDF)
State Designated EntityIn October 2025, the Wisconsin State Designated Entity for the HTF is now the Department of Administration’s Division of Energy Housing, and Community Resources (DEHCR). Prior to October the State Designated Entity was the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA).
State Entity Webpage
Division of Energy, Housing, and Community Resources (DEHCR)Official Directly Involved with HTF ImplementationHTF Program Manager
[email protected]NHTF-specific Pages
National Housing Trust Fund
Annual Action Plans
DEHCR National Housing Trust Fund webpage -
ResourcesResources
Housing Profiles
State Housing Profile
State Housing Profile: Wisconsin (PDF)
Congressional District Housing Profile
Congressional District Profile: Wisconsin (PDF)
Research and Data
National Housing Preservation Database
The National Housing Preservation Database is an address-level inventory of federally assisted rental housing in the United States.
Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing
Out of Reach documents the gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing. In Wisconsin and Nationwide
The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes
The Gap represents data on the affordable housing supply and housing cost burdens at the national, state, and metropolitan levels. In Wisconsin and Nationwide
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