Construction pricing is ever-increasing, leaving home ownership costs to outpace incomes for a lot of folks. We have heard from the neighborhood that ownership opportunities are strongly desired and we are committed to exploring the feasibility of this option.

We need your input to guide our efforts. What do you envision as the ideal ownership opportunity, and what price point would be manageable to you? Tell us here.

The nation has reached a housing crisis and Madison is no exception. We know that everyone needs housing – seniors, families, young professionals, individuals, students, and more.

We want to hear from you on who you think this housing should prioritize serving. Tell us here.

Housing that costs less than 30% of a household’s income. Households at all incomes have a limit to what is affordable to them. When a household spends more than 30% of household income on housing, they are considered cost burdened. Households spending more than 50% of their household income on housing are considered severely cost burdened and are at high risk of homelessness.

Typically for the City of Madison programs, low-income is defined as below 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) based on the number of persons per household. Section 42 Low Income Housing Tax Credit developments typically designate a portion of their housing units for 30%, 50%, and 60% of AMI as well as market rate with no income restrictions.

Source: WHEDA 2023

Some of the most common professions with average incomes in this range include:

• Administrative Assistant – $44,940
• Janitor – $31,200
• Childcare Worker – $24,380
• Waiter – $31,020
• Line Cook – $34,650
• Cashier/Retail – $29,620
• Lab Technician – $54,570

Rental Vacancy:

• Currently under 3%
• 5% is considered a healthy market
• It takes 2,000 to 2,500 new units per year to keep up with population growth

Housing cost Burden:

• Madison has approximately 35,000 cost burdened renter households (pay over 30% of income in rent)
• Over 20,000 of those are severely cost burdened (pay over 50% of income in rent)

Source: CoStar and American Community Surve

The Section 42 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program uses federal funds administered by the State of Wisconsin to fund the construction or rehabilitation of affordable low-income rental housing. Applications for these funds are due at the end of January every year. These funds are very competitive and applications are scored based on a variety of criteria including:

• Incomes being served (more points for lower income groups)
• Quality of the site (access to public transportation and walkability)
• Area needs (low vacancy and high rents and employment center by Census tract)
• Other funding sources (local funds)
• Building amenities (energy efficency, accessibility)
• Quality of the development team

These developments must follow normal City procedures to secure development, zoning, and building permit approvals as well as pay property taxes. Projects must remain affordable for 30 years and are subject to regular inspections by the State.

The Housing Choices Voucher Program utilizes federal funds administered locally by the Community Development Authority (CDA) to pay a portion of the receipient’s monthly rent. To qualify for the program, a household must have income below 50% AMI and meet CDA screening criteria to be put on a waiting list for a voucher. Vouchers are then awarded through a lottery system to households on the waiting list. Recipients must pay 30% of their household income towards their rent with the voucher paying the remainder of their rent. There is a cap on the rent that will be paid based on the area’s Fair Market Rent.

The South District Police Station is at capacity and currently the City of Madison does not have adequate evidence storage facilities. The current plan is for the existing police station to remain in its current location until 2029/2030. A new police station and evidence storage facility is planned to be built on the site of the former Town of Madison Town Hall on Fish Hatchery Road once the new Fire Station 6 is built and the Fire Department vacates it’s temporary location at the former Town Hall site.

The City of Madison explored renovating Fire Station 6 with a focus on modernization, future growth, and gender equity. However, renovation estimates exceeded expectations, prompting the search for alternative solutions. Simultaneously, Madison College sought to expand its South Campus to include a daycare facility. Through community outreach efforts, including the creation of the South Madison Plan, it became clear that childcare was a significant need for the area.

To address both the need for childcare and maintain fire department response times, the City sold the Fire Station 6 property to Madison College for the daycare expansion and identified the Park Badger redevelopment as the ideal location for a new fire station. Once the new station is complete, the fire department will vacate its temporary location on Fish Hatchery Road, which is then slated for a new police station and evidence storage facility for the South District Police Station.

Madison Metro recently completed a major bus network redesign. As part of the network redesign the bus routes are longer and more direct to destinations, thereby riders need fewer transfers to get to their final destination, making the transfer points unnecessary. Currently, a few routes stop at the former transfer point to make transfers. By the end of 2025 this transfer activity will be relocated to stops on Hughes Place allowing for the redevelopment of the former transfer point.

Do you have questions about Madison Metro? Contact Metro Transit here.

The City of Madison regularly meets with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) to discuss enrollment capacity, and the planning efforts taking place have been informed by those meetings. MMSD is aware of the potential for new housing and is prepared for it.

In the planning team’s experience in creating and managing apartment communities in Madison, for every 100 units of affordable housing approximately 15-20 elementary and middle-school aged children are expected to join the community.

The neighborhood has expressed to us that they do not desire additional commercial space and would rather see those uses offered next door at Village on Park and The Hub.

We prioritize accessibility in every project, ensuring that our development efforts are not only compliant with regulatory standards but often exceeding them. Our approach involves integrating universal design principles from the ground up, creating inclusive, functional spaces that enhance livability for all.

Please feel free to share any additional thoughts with us here.

With Luna’s Groceries opening their second location across the street at Village on Park, we do not anticipate competing with them and offering food or grocer options.

Tell us here if you feel differently.

The City of Madison and the redevelopment team will work closely together to address any increased traffic as well as pedestrian safety. This typically involves conducting traffic studies to assess the potential impact on local roads and intersections. Based on these studies, a range of measures can be implemented, such as optimizing trafic signal timings, adding new traffic signals, and creating designated pedestrian crossings. Additionally, improvements to public transportation options and the incorporation of traffic-calming measures, like speed bumps and roundabouts, are considered to enhance safety and manage traffic flow effectively. These collaborative efforts ensure that both vehicular and pedestrian traffic can coexist safely and efficiently.

Please continue to share your concerns with us here.

The community has expressed to the planning team that they would like to see more green space, park spaces, community gathering areas, and sport courts for youth activities.

Share your vision with us here.

Ensuring adequate and affordable parking is a key consideration in our planning efforts. We are committed to providing sufficient parking facilities to meet the needs of the community. Additionally, a new parking garage is being constructed across the street at Village on Park, which will further enhance the availability of parking in the area. Our goal is to balance convenience, accessibility, and affordability to ensure that parking is not a concern for residents and visitors.

At present the planning efforts are recommending that all parking for residents will be included in rent so to maximize the use of those parking spaces. Do you have any additional thoughts to share on parking? Tell us more here.

Fire stations have long existed amongst the residential communities they were built to serve. While the idea of apartments above a fire station is a relatively new concept, it has been successfully implemented throughout the nation, as well as right here in Madison.

We’ve heard the community’s voices, and you’d like a high-quality design that is long-lasting and welcoming. Some have shared that they like the aesthetics of the new Bayview within the Triangle.

Tell us more about what you’d like to see here.