GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) -- A major development project will soon be built in downtown Green Bay. On Tuesday night the city's Common Council approved a five-story, 172-unit apartment building. The complex will also have a grocery store inside of it and space for other retailers and it's estimated to cost 22-million dollars to build.
Finding a rental property in Green Bay has grown increasingly difficult in recent years. In fact, the Brown County United Way discovered that about one-third of local families struggled with instability in 2020, all too often related to housing needs.
"It's definitely a need that our community faces, as well as communities across the nation. It's not new to the pandemic but it certainly has amplified it," says Sarah Inman the Vice President for Community Investment with the Brown County United Way.
Inman says her organization received about 35-thousand calls in 2020 from residents, many of which were struggling to find affordable, quality housing.
"Ranging from shelter to rental assistance, to mortgage assistance, looking for lower-income housing," says Inman.
So, what gives? Why is it so difficult to find affordable housing in Green Bay? And why are so many paying more than 30-percent of their gross income toward rent each month?
"There are a higher percentage of renters in Green Bay as compared to surrounding communities who are cost-burdened," says Becky Binz, a planner with MSA Professional Services.
Recently, Binz conducted a housing market study within the city and found that just four percent of Green Bay rental units are currently unoccupied. Her team also discovered that many families can't afford what is available.
"We're especially concerned about the lowest income population because those renters are the most likely to become homeless."
Binz says family units and even one-bedroom apartments are currently in high demand in Green Bay. But, contractors have a difficult time bringing down the price points for renters.
"There aren't a ton of subsidies, via the state, or federal level to support low-income development," says Binz.
On average, Binz says a contractor aims to charge about $1,300 a month for rent on a one-bedroom apartment in a newly constructed building just so that they can break even.
"For a one-bedroom unit, that's not affordable to a lot of families. Especially lower-income families" adds Binz.
