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Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address on Expanding Affordable Housing Statewide
January 19, 2024
Gov. Tony Evers today delivered the Democratic Radio Address highlighting his administration’s efforts to expand access to affordable housing statewide, including the new Restore Main Street and Vacancy-to-Vitality Loan Programs, which were funded by the 2023-25 biennial budget, and the HOME-American Rescue Plan Program.
Hey there, folks. Governor Tony Evers here.
Expanding access to safe, stable, and affordable housing is a key part of our work to support kids and families, bolster our state’s workforce and economy, and ensure our communities continue to grow and thrive.
Since 2019, through programs at the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority and our Neighborhood Investment Fund, we’ve been proud to help build more than 14,000 affordable housing units across the state—and counting!
And last summer, I was proud to sign a budget that made the largest investment in affordable housing in our state’s history with a historic $525 million investment.
This funding, along with a corresponding package of bills I signed last year, will help address the issues we face when it comes to making sure we have housing that is affordable and well-maintained for workers and families across our state.
And these efforts are already underway!
Last month, I announced two new loan programs created out of this investment, the Restore Main Street and Vacancy-to-Vitality programs, that are now available.
The Restore Main Street Loan Program will help improve housing above commercial spaces while the Vacancy-to-Vitality Loan Program will help cover the costs of converting a vacant commercial building into workforce or senior housing.
More good news came last month when we announced the rollout of a new federally funded HOME-American Rescue Plan program that will build on our work to provide safe, affordable housing for low-income and housing-insecure households.
These programs and our continued work to expand affordable housing will help us connect the dots between some of the most pressing challenges facing our state and build the future we want for our kids, families, and workforce.
Thank you.
ABOUT WHEDA
For 50 years, WHEDA has worked to provide low-cost financing for housing and small business development in Wisconsin. Since 1972, WHEDA has financed more than 87,300 affordable rental units, helped more than 138,300 families purchase a home, and provided more than 29,200 small business and agricultural loan guarantees. WHEDA is a self-supporting public corporation that receives no tax dollars for its operations. For more information on WHEDA programs visit wheda.com or call 800-334-6873.