Washburn County Survey Finds Need for New Workforce Housing

WASHBURN COUNTY, Wis. (WLAK / WBZH) – Washburn County officials are sharing the results of a months-long community survey, which found new workforce housing to be the biggest need.

The community survey was meant to evaluate the county’s current housing stock, develop ideas for addressing barriers to housing access, and make detailed recommendations on how to address those issues. Following eight months of gathering data, Community and Economic Development Associates and the Washburn County Economic Development Corporation determined the creation of new workforce housing should be the highest priority.

According to a Spooner Advocate report, the organization recommended the creation of 300 units of market-rate workforce rental housing or 250 units of modest housing meant for first-time home buyers and working class families. They also recommended building additional senior-oriented rental units to encourage aging residents to downsize and make more single-family homes available.

CEDA officials say the growth rate in the county has slowed and the median resident age is 12 years higher than the state average. With those trends, the county projects to see population decline over the next 15 years. Addressing that population decline means bringing in younger workers from other areas of the state, who will need affordable housing options to remain in the area.

The survey found that only about 11 percent of the county’s housing stock qualified as rental housing, limiting its ability to attract younger people to address workforce shortages.

With areas of need identified, county officials will now turn their attention to locating potential sites for development and seeking funding through grant programs. They will also review and modernize zoning codes where possible to allow for more housing flexibility.