Here is this week’s letter to the editor of the Oshkosh Northwestern. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views.
Wisconsin housing costs and state building regulations
Housing has become too expensive, and while rising land, labor and material costs are part of the problem, government regulations also contribute.
In Oshkosh, we have been working to remove barriers. Over the past several years, the city has allowed accessory dwelling units, reduced lot sizes and increased zoning flexibility, and we are not stopping there. This year, Oshkosh will undertake a comprehensive zoning code rewrite to make it easier to build the housing our community needs. But even the most ambitious local reforms can only go so far.
Many rules affecting what can be built and how much it costs are established at the state level. As a result, Wisconsin communities often must address housing shortages under regulations that make housing more difficult and expensive to build.
That is why I recently brought forward a resolution, unanimously approved by the Oshkosh Common Council, supporting the state’s ongoing review of building regulations. This review cannot be a quick update. It must be a serious, data-driven examination of whether existing requirements still make sense and whether they help or hinder our ability to build affordable housing.
The housing crisis isn’t just about land, labor or materials. It’s also about the rules we’ve written for ourselves. Wisconsin has a rare opportunity to rethink those rules. If we are serious about housing affordability, we cannot settle for minor tweaks. We need meaningful reform that removes unnecessary barriers and makes it easier to build. It’s time to let Wisconsin build again.
Joe Stephenson
Oshkosh council member
Our letters policy
Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to oshkoshnews@thenorthwestern.com and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@usatodayco.com. Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh council member urges housing reform in letter
Reporting by Oshkosh Northwestern / Oshkosh Northwestern
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oshkosh Northwestern | USA TODAY Network
