Be Heard!

There are going to be Turnout for Transportation Roundtables in May.

Hear directly from local officials, community leaders, and industry partners about the current state of our transportation infrastructure, emerging opportunities, and their real-world impacts on our neighborhoods, businesses, and the state's economy.

Together, we'll reflect on the progress we've made and the challenges still ahead as we work to preserve a safe, modern, and interconnected transportation system that keeps Wisconsin moving forward, strong, and competitive.

Candidates and legislators will be in attendance.

Your voice and perspective matter. We hope you'll join the conversation.

2026 UPDATES

Legislative Update 3/2026

• President Trump signed Executive Order 14394 on March 13—"Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction.” This EO directs the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review and revise stormwater, wetland, and waterway permitting requirements; the Department of Commerce and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to eliminate “unduly burdensome rules” and reform programs to expand residential development; the Council on Environmental Quality to provide guidance that exempts or reduces housing developments from National Environmental Policy Act requirements; the HUD agency to promulgate a series of regulatory best practices for state and local governments on residential construction within 60 days; and the Department of Agriculture, HUD, EPA, and Department of Transportation to revise grant requirements to advance best practices for residential developments.

• Governor Evers signed the 2025 Wisconsin Act 173 into law on April 2. This Act requires cities and villages to grant rezoning requests for the purposes of residential housing development if certain conditions are met; requires cities and villages, every five years, to identify areas in their comprehensive plans in which residential land use is projected and outline the minimum and maximum residential units per acre that will be authorized; and allows cities, under certain conditions, to extend the life of Tax Incremental Districts for up to two years for housing stock improvement from the one-year extension allowed by current law.

• Governor Evers signed several Acts into law on April 9.The 2025 Wisconsin Act 235  enables residential tax incremental districts. The 2025 Wisconsin Act 236 makes changes to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program. 

• Governor Evers also signed the 2025 Wisconsin Act 237 into law on April 9. This Act makes changes to the Infrastructure Access Loan program, the Restore Main Street Loan program, and the Commercial-to-Housing Conversion Loan program. 

• The 2025 Wisconsin Act 238 makes changes to the historic rehabilitation tax credit, and the 2025 Wisconsin Act 239 creates a workforce home revolving loan program.

Legislative Update 1/2026

Single Stairways in Multifamily Housing Has an Assembly Hearing

The State Assembly’s Housing and Real Estate Committee held a public hearing on January 21, 2026, for a bill that could loosen restrictions on single staircase construction for multi-unit housing (2025 Assembly Bill 784). APA-WI supports this important legislation to find common ground that could reduce construction and renovation costs while keeping residents safe. Our communities are struggling to provide needed housing, and we see the impact of construction costs on rents all the time when reviewing plans. People who would like to move closer to work, family, or friends, and for residents who can’t afford their current housing, could benefit from the passage of this legislation.

League of Wisconsin Municipalities (LWM) Calls for Senate Action on Easing Access to Housing Loans

In its January 26, 2026, Legislative Bulletin, the LWM encouraged its members to contact their Senator to bring 2025 Assembly Bill 194 to the floor in February. This bill would allow TIF and historic tax credits to be stacked with housing loans, increase the maximum loan amount, lower the number of dwelling units that must be created, allowing mixed-use development, and move the lookback date to January 1, 2020. APA-WI supports this legislation to increase the number of workforce housing units constructed in the state. Communities are having a hard time meeting housing need. Making this funding more accessible has the potential to increase the number of communities that qualify and increase the number of homes throughout the state.

PAST UPDATES

Legislative Update 1/2024

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities' Summary: Key provisions of how the State’s Biennial Budget will impact local governments.

https://files.constantcontact.com/719b6d0b001/4cd8ee48-dce2-43c4-b89a-ead09578336d.pdf?rdr=true

Legislative Update 1/2024

RB-4336/1 - “Urban Towns, Mandatory Connection” Bill Update

Josh Clements, AICP, APA-WI Legislative Committee Member and VP of Professional Development, testified on behalf of APA-WI at the Senate Committee meeting on January 10, 2024 at the Wisconsin State Capitol. 

Josh delivered a testimony on behalf of planners in the interest of preserving critical and necessary tools for multi-jurisdictional growth management and coordination, rational planning, and efficient growth. See this link for the testimony document.

We joined the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, multiple cities, and development trade organizations in presenting our concerns with the legislation. The groups that have registered on the bill: https://lobbying.wi.gov/What/BillInformation/2023REG/Information/23421.

Legislative Update 10/24/2023

Proposed "Urban Towns" Bill

APA-WI recently shared a response opposing the recently proposed "Urban Towns" Bill, LRB-4336/1. According to an email from Senator LeMahieu on October 19, 2023, the bill has not been formally introduced in the Senate.

For more information, see the links below:

• proposed bill,
• letter template,
• response.

To find your state legislators, Senator and Representative, go to the legislative website and type in your address.

Workforce Housing Acts Update

Dan O’Callaghan of Carlson Black provided a legislative update at the recent WI-APA Conference in Milwaukee with focus on the 2023 - Workforce Housing Acts. See the presentation for details.

Case Law Updates

June - October 2023 Case Law Updates will be shared in November.

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On July 5, Governor Evers signed the biennial 2023-25 State Budget into Law

This budget provides historic increases in shared revenue funding, housing, PFAS, and more. We wanted to highlight the issues that are especially important for planners, as recently summarized by the WI League of Municipalities:

Shared Revenue

The state budget provides the funding for the provisions of the Shared Revenue Bill, signed into law as Act 12. Specifically, the budget transfers an ongoing 20% of sales and use taxes (a penny of the sales tax) to the newly created local government fund. The budget also funds the $300 million for the Innovation Fund, and the $3 million for innovation planning grants.

Housing

The Legislature passed a package of Housing Bills that will provide workforce and senior housing across the state, and the Joint Finance Committee then provided $525 million in the state budget to fund the Housing Bills. The budget provides $50 million in one-time funds to the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) to support a housing rehabilitation program to low- to moderate-income households to renovate or repair their current home and address hazards like lead and mold. It invests $275 million in one-time funds for the newly created Residential Housing Infrastructure Revolving Loan Fund at WHEDA to support the creation of new affordable and senior housing. It provides $100 million in one-time dollars to fund the newly created Main Street Housing Rehabilitation Revolving Loan Fund at WHEDA to improve rental workforce housing on the second or third floor of existing buildings. It also allocates $100 million in one-time funding for the newly created Commercial-to Housing Conversion Revolving Loan Fund at WHEDA for the conversion of vacant commercial buildings to new residential developments of workforce or senior housing.

Transportation

The state budget includes many transportation provisions, including a one-time GPR transfer of $555 million to the transportation fund, a 2% increase in general transportation aids in each year of the biennium, a 25% increase in connecting highway funding, a one-time, $100 million increase in the Local Roads Improvement Program, $150 million in the newly-created Local Roads Improvement Program-Agriculture (ARIP), a 2% increase in mass transit operating aid, increases in State Highway management and operations, and funding for the Local Bridge Improvement Program.

Thank you to the APA-WI Policy Committee and our collaborators with the WI League of Municipalities.

Recent bills signed into law:

Shared Revenue

Shared Revenue Bill, signed into law as Act 12, transferring an ongoing 20% of sales and use taxes (a penny of the sales tax) to the newly created local government fund.

Informational Paper #22 by Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Housing

Governor Evers signed five bills into law establishing loan programs for builders and landlords and making it easier for developers to get permits for new residences.

• • 2023 AB 264 residential housing infrastructure revolving loan fund and revolving loan program.
  • 2023 AB 268 commercial-to-housing conversion revolving loan fund and loan program.
  • 2023 AB 265 a main street housing rehabilitation revolving loan fund and loan program.
  • 2023 AB 267 housing rehabilitation loans awarded by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.
  • 2023 AB 266 judicial review of local governmental decisions related to certain land development, local approval of residential housing development, and amendment of zoning ordinances.