MONROE - The city took one step closer to establishing an action plan which would identify housing needs and develop solutions by hosting a housing workshop Wednesday.
The City of Monroe hired Vierbicher Associates, a planning and engineering firm, to conduct a study on areas of housing needs. The first step was the distribution of a survey regarding housing issues. The survey was distributed via the Internet and paper copies from Feb. 8 until March 14. Roughly 700 people began the 10-minute survey, but only 429 respondents completed the questionnaire fully. Questions ranged from the preferred size of a home to desirable amenities.
Vierbicher Certified Planner Dan Lindstrom coordinated the workshop held in the lower level of the Green County Justice Center. He shared the results from the housing survey with the 22 people present for the workshop.
Of the people who filled out the survey, 77 percent were city residents. There were 81 percent living in single-family homes, and 72 percent of respondents were owners, while 28 percent were renters. Lindstrom noted that the highest percentage of renters answered that they had not moved within the past five years.
"I've never seen that one that high before," Lindstrom said. "You have a very solid rental market. Now we just need to focus on quality."
Comfort of living condition was a key factor in the evaluation of Monroe housing. Throughout the process to create a new Monroe Comprehensive Plan last year, residents who provided feedback noted a lack of affordable and quality rentals. Within the housing survey, respondents echoed a similar sentiment. Lindstrom pointed to the results of the survey, which asked respondents to indicate which type of housing development is needed within the city by less, the same or more.
"They only category that answers said needs less (development) was executive housing," Lindstrom said. "We have a lot of people saying that out of almost every type of housing we have listed here, we need more."
Assistant City Administrator Martin Shanks, who was present for the workshop, worked with Vierbicherto distribute the survey and to possibly establish a program in Monroe to help boost home values. Shanks said the idea for a program came from Monona, which had laid out guidelines to offer low-interest loans for improvements. The city's fund balance could be utilized, and with a revolving loan process they could prove to be more beneficial than a one-time purchase by the city, Shanks had said.
Workshop attendees told Lindstrom they found the amount of homelessness indicated in the survey answers troubling.Out of the total number of respondents, 37 percent said they knew someone on the brink of losing their housing, while 18 individuals indicated they knew someone without their own place to live. Lindstrom agreed it was a high number.
Other attendees focused on the future of housing. Lindstrom posed questions to five groups. The first was a request to outline any concerns regarding future housing demands. Group members shared perceived problems such as the battle of employers to keep employees and young professionals within the city with the lack of rental options for incoming workers, outdated city codes and issues with enforcement and a lack of middle-income housing. People also stated the lack of temporary housing, downtown parking and accessibility, quality senior housing and the need for rehabilitation among some of the city's oldest buildings.
The second question asked attendees to indicate on a large map which areas they felt were most in need of housing stock improvement. Main ideas of development were updates to the homes on the outskirts of the Square, area around the railroad tracks central to town and the use of the lot currently owned by Menard's north of the city between Wisconsin 69 and Aebly Road. The third requested an outline of which areas should not be rehabilitated, which most respondents said would be the west industrial park.
The agreement between the city and Vierbicher may develop an action plan to address housing issues within Monroe as well as find new ways to deal with gaps in policy and current programs. Shanks said the city wished to gain as much feedback they can before moving forward with any program.
The City of Monroe hired Vierbicher Associates, a planning and engineering firm, to conduct a study on areas of housing needs. The first step was the distribution of a survey regarding housing issues. The survey was distributed via the Internet and paper copies from Feb. 8 until March 14. Roughly 700 people began the 10-minute survey, but only 429 respondents completed the questionnaire fully. Questions ranged from the preferred size of a home to desirable amenities.
Vierbicher Certified Planner Dan Lindstrom coordinated the workshop held in the lower level of the Green County Justice Center. He shared the results from the housing survey with the 22 people present for the workshop.
Of the people who filled out the survey, 77 percent were city residents. There were 81 percent living in single-family homes, and 72 percent of respondents were owners, while 28 percent were renters. Lindstrom noted that the highest percentage of renters answered that they had not moved within the past five years.
"I've never seen that one that high before," Lindstrom said. "You have a very solid rental market. Now we just need to focus on quality."
Comfort of living condition was a key factor in the evaluation of Monroe housing. Throughout the process to create a new Monroe Comprehensive Plan last year, residents who provided feedback noted a lack of affordable and quality rentals. Within the housing survey, respondents echoed a similar sentiment. Lindstrom pointed to the results of the survey, which asked respondents to indicate which type of housing development is needed within the city by less, the same or more.
"They only category that answers said needs less (development) was executive housing," Lindstrom said. "We have a lot of people saying that out of almost every type of housing we have listed here, we need more."
Assistant City Administrator Martin Shanks, who was present for the workshop, worked with Vierbicherto distribute the survey and to possibly establish a program in Monroe to help boost home values. Shanks said the idea for a program came from Monona, which had laid out guidelines to offer low-interest loans for improvements. The city's fund balance could be utilized, and with a revolving loan process they could prove to be more beneficial than a one-time purchase by the city, Shanks had said.
Workshop attendees told Lindstrom they found the amount of homelessness indicated in the survey answers troubling.Out of the total number of respondents, 37 percent said they knew someone on the brink of losing their housing, while 18 individuals indicated they knew someone without their own place to live. Lindstrom agreed it was a high number.
Other attendees focused on the future of housing. Lindstrom posed questions to five groups. The first was a request to outline any concerns regarding future housing demands. Group members shared perceived problems such as the battle of employers to keep employees and young professionals within the city with the lack of rental options for incoming workers, outdated city codes and issues with enforcement and a lack of middle-income housing. People also stated the lack of temporary housing, downtown parking and accessibility, quality senior housing and the need for rehabilitation among some of the city's oldest buildings.
The second question asked attendees to indicate on a large map which areas they felt were most in need of housing stock improvement. Main ideas of development were updates to the homes on the outskirts of the Square, area around the railroad tracks central to town and the use of the lot currently owned by Menard's north of the city between Wisconsin 69 and Aebly Road. The third requested an outline of which areas should not be rehabilitated, which most respondents said would be the west industrial park.
The agreement between the city and Vierbicher may develop an action plan to address housing issues within Monroe as well as find new ways to deal with gaps in policy and current programs. Shanks said the city wished to gain as much feedback they can before moving forward with any program.