- info@ectlrc.org
The city of Eau Claire is accepting proposals for projects related to affordable housing, providing financial assistance through the Affordable Housing Fund.
Community Development Project Coordinator Billie Hufford said the city is seeking ideas from community developers, organizations, nonprofits or other groups.
“Affordability, especially for individuals making below median income, is complicated all over the country,” she said. “Here in Eau Claire, with our median income being around $70,000. It really drives up what the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDA ) would consider lower income rates, because they base them on that median income.
“When you consider individuals that are making minimum wage, or even $15 an hour, many of them are priced out even at those WEDA rates, because they are factored strictly on income. But when you start getting down to those 60 and 30% options, which we would really love to see, then those start being affordable for individuals in those lower wage areas.”
Hufford said it becomes nearly impossible to be able to develop at those costs as issues like the rise of material costs, labor and supply chain issues persist.
The Affordable Housing Fund started in 2020 due to housing costs, and first awarded funds to projects in 2021 and again in 2023. In the past, the funding has gone towards health and safety updates for rental units within the city.
Seeking proposals this year, the city encourages projects that will help achieve a substantial increase in workforce and low-income housing units.
They are interested in projects that can work towards affordability levels below 60%, as the average price of a home in Eau Claire is estimated at $500,000.
“We really want to see innovative things that we might not be thinking of that might be able to lower cost and be replicated in the future,” Hufford said.
When it comes to addressing housing affordability, providing financial assistance through a grant program like this is one way in which a municipality can make an impact on some of those issues. Hufford said the city is also looking at other opportunities to make an impact.
“We’re also looking at land that the city owns and what we may not need anymore so that we can look at getting that property into developers’ hands to build affordable ownership units, preferably,” she said. “But there may be some that come in as low-income rental, depending on who may be proposing something. But really on those trying to bring ownership costs down to around the $300,000 mark or below.”
Proposals should be submitted as a PDF file via email with the subject line “Affordable Housing Fund Proposal” to Billie.Hufford@EauClaireWI.gov. The deadline for submissions is 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Hufford said they are also requiring a meeting before an application would be submitted.
The full RFP can be found at eauclairewi. gov/286/Housing-Opportunities-Commission.
Article by:
MATTHEW BAUGHMAN, Leader-Telegram staff
