What’s the Problem?
- Housing is unaffordable in Madison. People want to live and work here, but they have few affordable housing options.
- Demand outpaces supply and has for years. We need to build 2,000 new units per year to keep up with demand, but we can’t build anywhere near that number under current zoning rules.
- The housing crisis disproportionately impacts low-income households and communities of color:
- More than half (54.6%) of all renters in Madison—and 24.7% of homeowners—are considered cost-burdened (spending 30% of income or more on housing). More than 12,000 households pay more than 50% of their household income in rent.
- Nearly half of households are owner-occupied, but only 20% of Black households are homeowners—a legacy of racially motivated redlining policies from the past that continue to restrict multi-family housing.
What’s the Solution?
- Our current zoning ordinances and permitting processes create a major barrier. Updating them will make it easier to construct new housing, particularly quality, affordable housing for low- and middle-income earners.
- More affordable housing options benefit everyone. Whether you’re just starting off, looking to start a family, or retiring and looking to downsize, more housing options benefit everyone.
- Help Madison grow in the ways we want it to…not in the ways we don’t. We need to grow smarter, with more walkable communities and affordable housing that maintains Madison’s diversity and quality of life. Without zoning changes, housing costs will keep going up and working people won’t be able to afford to live in the city.
Don’t Let Outdated Zoning Rules Hold Madison Back.
Tell the Common Council They Hold the Key to Madison’s Future.
