County Could Fund Greenfield Affordable Housing Project

Layton Preserve rendering by Knothe & Bruce Architects.

Milwaukee County’s Housing Division is recommending $2.5 million in funding for a new affordable housing development in Greenfield.

The project is a 45-unit development planned by Horizon Development Group in Greenfield near the intersection of S. 99 Street and W. Layton Avenue. The project would include 38 units for seniors with an annual income at or below the county median and seven townhomes rented to families earning no more than 50% of the county median income ($25,000 and less).

In 2022, Milwaukee County set aside approximately $15 million in COVID-19 stimulus funds to support affordable housing projects in suburban Milwaukee Communities. The proposal was part of a policy priority of County Executive David Crowley to support affordable housing in the county, especially in areas that have historically not had it.

The housing division would like to allocate funding to a Horizon Development Group project called Layton Preserve Apartments. This $13.6 million development will include a three-story, 38-unit apartment building renting to residents 55 years or older and a separate seven-unit townhome-style building with detached garages for families. Both buildings will be income-restricted.

The 38 rental units will include 16 that lease for $650; 11 between $650 and $1,000; and 11 between $1,000 and $1,250.

Monthly rent up to $1,250 has been allowed on other affordable housing projects that received county support, according to the housing division. This figure is considered affordable rent for families making the county’s median family income of approximately $50,000 a year.

The building for seniors will include “a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, an on-site leasing office, a clubroom/lounge area, a fitness center, tenant storage lockers, and heated underground parking,” according to an April report to the City of Greenfield Plan Commission, “The unit mix consists of 18 one-bedrooms planned at 800 square feet and 20 two-bedrooms planned at 1,000 square feet. All units will have energy-efficient appliances, in-unit washer/dryers, and private patio or balconies. “

The townhomes will be approximately 1,350 square feet each and include “energy-efficient appliances, in-unit washer/dryers, and private patio/balcony space.”

Horizon is a Madison-based developer with experience in development, construction and building management. The company reports developing and constructing $2 billion worth of real estate in its 39-year history.

Layton Preserve is a shovel-ready project with all necessary zoning approvals and low-income housing tax credits. The developer plans to begin construction this fall, according to the county’s housing division.

The idea for suburban affordable housing projects is pulled from a housing plan developed by the Community Development Alliance (CDA). Called the Collective Affordable Housing Plan, this document has served as a road map and source for a number of housing-related projects in the Milwaukee area.

CDA, led by Teig Whaley-Smith, has even taken a lead role in planning and managing a major homeownership project with county ARPA funding in the King Park neighborhood. The project will eventually produce 120 homes that will be marketed and sold to first-time homebuyers. Habitat for Humanity and Emem Group are serving as the developers.

The plan identified that Milwaukee County is short approximately 40,000 affordable rental units, which is defined as those renting for approximately $650 a month or less.

The county has so far allocated approximately $9 million of the $15 million in ARPA funds set aside by the county in 2022. The housing division has maintained a rolling call for projects and Layton Preserve in Greenfield is the latest to surface with housing division support since Crowley signed off on contracts for four projects in Wauwatosa, Brown Deer and South Milwaukee.