Living in Brown County

The Brown County housing market has recovered from the housing crisis, and the overall population has continued to grow and change as new families continue to move into Brown County, “baby boomers” approach retirement age, people experience homelessness, and the population becomes more diverse. These findings indicate that prioritizing affordability and housing diversity choices for these and all population segments is important to keep Brown County growing and vibrant. Rehabilitating, updating, and maintaining the existing housing also helps meet the changing population needs.

This chapter recommends several options that the county and local communities may utilize to meet the changing population needs. The main recommendations are to revise zoning ordinances to allow for more affordable and diverse housing to help meet the changing housing market; continue to seek financial mechanisms that will make housing more affordable to low to moderate households, which includes new construction and rehabilitation; and consider pursuing housing market-specific studies that enhance a community’s insight in meeting tomorrow’s housing needs,

Also Read: Tackling Housing Concerns at the State-Level: Lessons From Family Impact Seminars