The existence of a quality housing stock is a crucial component of a community’s economic profile. Owner occupied housing not only creates a need for consumer products and goods, driving the local economy, it also contributes to providing local businesses with a long term, dependable employee base. The Door County Economic Development Corporation has maintained an Attainable Housing Committee for several years to address issues related to affordable worker housing in Door County.
The Attainable Housing Committee, recognizing that many potential homebuyers were not aware of the many locally available housing assistance programs, developed a brochure to consolidate homebuyer assistance information into one source. Committee members also presented a series of on-site homebuyer awareness programs to employees at local companies.
DCEDC and the City of Sturgeon Bay worked with local manuafacturing company WireTech Fabricators to relocate their production facility into the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park, allowing for the redevelopment of their old site for workforce housing. The Sunset Hills #2 development has been prepared for 17 new home sites, with model homes to be built in Spring 2011.
The Attainable Housing Committee also commissioned and released the Sturgeon Bay Area Housing Needs Analysis to analyze the housing market and housing trends, document housing conditions, and provide an Action Plan to meet the demands that exist. Although originally published in April 2001 and updated in October of 2002, the concerns addressed continue to be issues today.
To join the DCEDC Attainable Housing Committee, please contact Sam Perlman.
