Madison Housing Week

media release: The Madison Housing Coalition announces the return of Madison Housing Week, a week-long series of events and discussions focused on housing issues, innovation, and accessibility in our community. From Sunday, Oct. 19 through Saturday, Oct. 25, residents are invited to participate in daily in-person sessions across the city and virtual lunchtime events designed to spark dialogue and inspire action. 

Now in its second year, Madison Housing Week brings together housing advocates, designers, builders, and community members to explore solutions to Madison’s housing challenges. The event is coordinated by the Madison Housing Coalition, a partnership of AARP Wisconsin, the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin (RASCW), the Madison Area Builders Association, and the Madison Area Community Land Trust. 

“AARP Wisconsin is proud to be a collaborative partner with the other organizations to foster a community conversation on a topic that affects us all,” said Darrin Wasniewski, Senior Associate State Director for Community Outreach at AARP Wisconsin.

“We’ve heard from older adults in Madison who recognize that their current home no longer suits their needs, but they are limited by the lack of options to remain in their neighborhoods and within their social circles. We look forward to learning from all those who have stepped up to share their knowledge and experience on housing matters,” Wasniewski said.

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Events include… 

An Examination of Affordable Housing in Madison, October 19, 4:00pm, Union South: A recap of the 1309-1311 and 1401-1403 Theresa Terrace CDA/MRCDC projects that were proposed in early 2022 and completed in mid-2025. An explainer on how these projects were conceived, received funding, and constructed.

An analysis of how this project should be replicable, but with an emphasis on the improvements we should be trying to make so these projects are more feasible in the future. Questions and recommendations about how we can get there and beat the baseline of $455k per unit and 3.5 year timelines.

Prejudice in Places, October 19, 6:30pm, Union South: Participants will learn that for most of the 20th century, discriminatory covenants were an insidious tool used nationwide to segregate whites from Blacks and other minorities in America’s burgeoning residential neighborhoods. Discriminatory covenants were inserted into property deeds to prevent non-Whites and non-Christians from buying or occupying land. Although no longer legally valid or enforceable, they can still be found in the land deeds of almost every American community.

Inspired by efforts throughout the country, Dane County conducted a pilot in June of 2022 to identify and analyze records from 1937-1969. Since then, the team reviewed more than 330,000 records from 1900-1969. The project team uncovered and mapped 1,029 property records impacting roughly 4,000 parcels. Of these, property owners of 1,103 parcels, roughly 25%, already released these provisions. An interactive map showing the discriminatory real estate documents can be found here.

Meanwhile, on March 22, 2024, Governor Evers signed the 2023 Wisconsin ACT 210 declaring discriminatory restrictions void and unenforceable and allowing property owners to denounce the restrictions. And, given the prevalence of these covenants in the County, on February 20, 2025, the Dane County Board of Supervisors passed 2024 Resolution-305 Repudiating Racial and Discriminatory Covenants in Dane County Property Records, validating and advancing this effort locally.

County staff and volunteers are now helping community members file these forms at their neighborhood events. So far, nearly 50 denouncements were filed.

Beyond Individual Gain: Building Community Wealth through Permanent Affordability, October 20, 11:00am, Microsoft Teams: What if affordable housing investments didn’t expire, but kept serving families generation after generation? This webinar explores how permanent affordability — in both homeownership and rental — transforms subsidies into lasting community wealth. Dr. Olivia Williams will share financial models and graphics that demonstrate the long-term return on investment: showing how many households can build equity and stability over time, rather than a few capturing disproportionate gains. Participants will come away with a deeper understanding of the real impact of permanent affordability on both families and communities. RSVP: Click here to RSVP

Working with faith-based communities around building affordable housing, October 20, 6:00pm, location: TBD: Come learn how faith-based communities can be part of the solution to providing affordable housing and key tips for how to work with them to navigate change.

Renter's Cinema, October 21, 7:00pm, Atwood Music Hall: Two films highlight both the global housing crisis and historic tenant organizing. We’d love to have someone from your organization join a post-film panel with local tenants and community members. We are inviting a small group of organizers rooted in militant cultural organizing, restorative healing, and alternative housing models to respond to the film.

Not a Penny on the Rents (1969, 22 min) is a fiery agitprop documentary that captures the struggles of London’s council tenants in 1968 as they organize rent strikes and confront the Greater London Council, the government, and the press in a fight against proposed rent increases.

Priced Out (2017, 62 min) is a heartbreaking film about the history of housing discrimination in the nation’s whitest city (Portland, Oregon).

Incremental Development: Small Steps Yield Big Results, October 22, 12:00pm, Virtual: This session will introduce participants to incremental development as a proven approach to Madison’s housing crisis. With less than 4 percent rental vacancy—well below the healthy 5-7 percent rate—and projections of adding over 18,400 people by 2030, Madison needs systematic solutions for creating “missing middle” housing without relying solely on subsidies.

Topics: Introduction to incremental development fundamentals, identifying small-scale development opportunities in existing neighborhoods, overcoming common regulatory barriers, and building local capacity for systematic housing creation.

Goals: Equip participants with practical frameworks for advancing small-scale housing development and understanding how systematic capacity building creates sustainable development infrastructure in communities.

Building on successful partnerships across the Midwest—including comprehensive training programs that have reached nearly 9,000 developers and ecosystem partners across 32 states—presenter Ivy Vann brings decades of town planning expertise specializing in community-scaled development.

Takeaways: Understanding of incremental development principles, strategies for overcoming common regulatory barriers, frameworks for identifying viable infill sites, and practical tools for engaging communities around missing middle housing solutions.

This session comes as Madison recently approved zoning changes to remove barriers to small residential infill projects, making it perfect timing to explore systematic approaches toward the city’s goal of 15,000 new homes by 2030.

Perfect for potential developers, policymakers, planners, and community development champions.

Expanding Housing Choice: Housing Mobility Programs, October 22, 7:00pm,The Urban League Hub: This session will explore the strategies deployed by Opportunity MKE, a housing mobility initiative of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, to expand housing choices for renters who utilize housing choice vouchers. We will discuss the evidence-based practices that are most effective in empowering renters to locate and lease up in high-opportunity areas in our community, and strategies to recruit housing providers who are interested in renting to our program participants.

Housing for a Lifetime: Designing Homes for Every Age,October 23, 12:00pm, on Zoom: AARP Wisconsin is pleased to announce a special 60-minute presentation exploring age-friendly and universal housing for all ages and stages of life. RSVP: Click here to RSVP

Madison has a long history of diversity in age and ability. The 20th century witnessed a rise in the number of people with disabilities across all age groups, followed by this century’s significant growth in the aging population. Madison’s population of those over age 60 was 15.9% in 2020, with a large number of emerging older adults following right behind. Projections predict that within two decades, one in four Wisconsin residents will be 65 or older, compared to one in six currently.

Despite the desire of 75% of adults 50 and over to age in place, as reported by a 2024 AARP study, many Madison seniors struggle to do so safely due to challenges navigating their homes. These challenges often involve entering and exiting their home, bathroom use, kitchen use, and even accessing bedrooms. The consequence is a less safe and more isolated life for these older adults compared to what they could experience in better-suited housing.

Due to a demographic surge and the limitations of our traditional home designs, some residents of Madison may need to explore home renovation options. Others, however, would be better served by seeking a new home nearby that requires less maintenance, is smaller, and incorporates key design features for successful aging in place. These features could include a graded, step-free entrance, a bathroom with age-friendly fixtures and layout, a kitchen with a lower microwave for easy access, and easy-to-reach storage cabinets, along with a range with front-located controls, among many others.

Vision: Change home design and construction practices in Madison to create more age-friendly housing options.

Goals: The presentation will explore key features to include in homes that can enhance safety and independence for older adults, in a manner that appeals to a diverse audience, including younger and middle-aged households.

ADU Design Competition Open House, Thursday, Oct. 23, 5:00pm – 7:00pm StartingBlock Madison (Balcony/Café Area): 

Celebrate innovation in small-scale housing at this showcase of winning designs from RASCW’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Competition. The open house will feature creative, livable designs that expand housing options in Madison. 

Barriers to Multifamily Housing: Developers Perspective, October 24, 12:00pm, Virtual: We will walk people through the development approval process for a new multifamily housing building from the initial neighborhood meetings to obtaining a building permit. We will identify obstacles that developers encounter during this process and the impact those obstacles have on the supply of housing and the rents developers must charge to make projects financially feasible.

Accessibly Designed ADU Open House, Friday, Oct. 24 at 3:30 pm, 6601 Jacobs Way: Visit a fully accessible ADU at 6601 Jacobs Way and see how thoughtful design can support aging in place and inclusive living. 

Missing Middle Housing Tour, October 25, 3:00pm, Crazylegs Plaza: Livable neighborhoods provide a diverse range of housing choices in a walkable context, often including a mix of medium- to high-density housing types such as duplexes, fourplexes, and small multiplexes that are compatible with single-family homes but represent a broad range of units and unit sizes. These types, known as Missing Middle Housing, are critical for providing diverse and affordable housing choices and achieving densities that support transit and local-serving small businesses.

Join us on this 90-minute Missing Middle Housing Tour through a near West side Madison neighborhood. Meet at Crazy Legs Plaza at the intersection of Monroe and Regent Streets. The tour departs promptly at 3 p.m. RSVP: Click here

Madison Housing Week is a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and contribute to shaping the future of housing in our city. Whether you're a homeowner, renter, policymaker, or advocate, there's something for everyone. Visit www.madisonhousingweek.com.