Sept. 7, 2023 3:55p
(WGTD)----A new, $6 million program designed to promote home ownership and strengthen neighborhoods may include more than building new, traditional single-family homes or renovating old ones.
The program--details of which have yet to be worked out--was conceptually approved Wednesday night when the City Council voted to accept a $3 million contribution from the Kenosha County-based Uline, the shipping materials company. The city will contribute a matching amount.
At the meeting, Mayor Antaramian floated the possibility that the program could include the construction of what are called "tiny homes".
A village of 15 tiny homes and a community center cater to veterans in Racine on Yout St. The first home was built in 2017.
Antaramian offered no additional details at Wednesday night's meeting.
Speaking with WGTD, Tamara Coleman, director of the Shalom Center in Kenosha, said affordable housing of all types is needed.
A survey of housing costs in the Kenosha area by the federal government’s Housing and Urban Development agency shows that it’s getting harder for average people to put roofs over their heads.
For example, the estimated average cost of rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Kenosha County next year is expected to be just over $1,400. "Who's making that kind of money?" Coleman asked.
Coleman noted that the need for affordable housing has been identified by Kenosha County Public Health as a top concern.
-0-