Despite its importance for a healthy and productive life, adequate housing is unaffordable for many people in Dane County, leaving families to sacrifice safety, cleanliness, or affordability in their search for a home. The problem is particularly a concern for low-income households, and for households of color, who are more likely to be low-income in Dane County. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison estimate that there is currently an affordable housing shortage of between 7,000 and 27,000 units in the county and project that this will worsen over the next 25 years.