Housing Forward Proposals

media release: We all want Madison to be affordable for teachers and firefighters, bus drivers and baristas, nurses and mechanics – all of the people who make this city such an amazing place to live and work. And we all know that when there are not enough homes in our city, these people get priced out. If we want a community that is culturally, racially, and economically diverse, we have to build more homes, and we have to make those homes affordable for ordinary working people.     

A mix of homes – of all sizes and prices – gives more people a chance to own their home, build wealth, and provide a solid foundation of economic stability and opportunity for themselves and the next generation.

Three new proposals being introduced by the mayor and several members of the Common Council will make it easier to build the types of smaller homes that we used to build and already see in many of the city’s more established neighborhoods. They will also simplify the permit process for some types of housing to lower the risks of building it. These steps will help create enough homes so that people from all walks of life can live all around our city.

We want every Madisonian – whether they were born here or moved here, have been here for a year or a lifetime – to be able to live in their choice of home and neighborhood. Learn more about the proposals here.

A Public Information Meeting on these proposals will be held virtually at 6:00pm on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, during which city staff will go into detail about what is being proposed. If you are unable to attend, a recording of the meeting will be publicly posted on this page after the meeting concludes.