Shorewood Has More Affordable Housing Than Many Realize

I’ve been troubled by the frequently repeated claim that Shorewood has an “affordable housing shortage.” So, I decided to dig into the data myself.

I read through the 220-page “Comprehensive Housing Market Study and Needs Analysis of Shorewood, Wisconsin” (issued February 13, 2020). It’s a detailed, acronym-heavy document, but after spending several hours studying it, I found the results to be very revealing.

The report defines income categories based on HUD’s Area Median Family Income (HAMFI):

· Extremely Low-Income (ELI): 30% or less of HAMFI

· Very Low-Income (VLI): 31–50% of HAMFI

· Low-Income (LI): 51–80% of HAMFI

According to the study, in 2020 Shorewood had 3,325 rental or vacant-for-rent units. Page 103 details how many of these are considered affordable at each income level. The pie chart displays how these units are distributed by income category.

Here’s what stood out:

· Only 7% of Shorewood’s rental units don’t qualify as affordable under these definitions.

· That means 93% of all rental units in Shorewood are considered affordable for at least one of the income groups listed above.

The report points out an important nuance: much of this affordable housing is occupied by people with higher incomes. In other words, Shorewood’s challenge isn’t necessarily the availability of affordable housing—it’s who is living in it.

It’s also worth noting that Shorewood already has 427 subsidized units at River Park I and II, which accept Section 8 vouchers for seniors and disabled adults.

Some have said that affordable housing always requires government support. However, this report shows that Shorewood has over 3,000 rental units that meet affordability standards based on income—without being government-subsidized.

From my reading, it seems more accurate to say that “subsidized housing” requires government support, while “affordable housing” can be delivered through the existing rental marketplace.

I realize this topic can stir strong opinions. I’m simply sharing what the data in this comprehensive report reveals. I think our schools desperately need the $1 million that has been withheld by the TIF.

You can read the full report here:

https://www.villageofshorewood.org/.../Comprehensive...