Madison Mayor Proposes Expansion of Low Income Housing Throughout Dane County in an Effort to Reduce the MMSD's Low Income Population

Dean Mosiman:

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is proposing a regional approach to affordable housing to help ease high concentrations of poor students in Madison schools.

Cieslewicz is proposing to merge the city and Dane County public housing authorities into a single entity that would take a more regional view.

The authorities handle federal vouchers that offset rent payments, public housing and support first-time buyers.

Cieslewicz also wants to make communities outside Madison eligible for money from the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which now stands at $4 million.

Over time, the proposals might spread low-income housing more evenly through the region, which would help all schools, Cieslewicz said.

Madison Demographics: 82.2% white (Dane County = 87.5%) with 15% of the population living below poverty (2000 census; Dane County = 9.4%). 43% of the Madison School District's students were classified as "low income" for the 2007-2008 school year.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 7, 2008 7:27 PM
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