The Berkshire Ashwaubenon Apartments on Mike McCarthy Way. PC: Fox 11 Online
ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — From Virginia to Manitowoc, and even Puerto Rico, seniors from near and far who struggled to find an affordable place to live are now under one roof — and it’s in a highly desirable location near Lambeau Field.
“I still can’t believe it,” said Francisco Hernandez, who moved into the Berkshire Ashwaubenon Apartments in September when they opened.
Hernandez says he looked for more than a year for a place to live, often finding places that either were too high in rent, too short on space, or riddled with problems like vandalism.
“It’s difficult, real difficult,” said Hernandez. “This is a cheap place and it looks like a hotel.”
On Wednesday, Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld toured the Berkshire Ashwaubenon Apartments to see the results of the nearly $6 million the state invested into the 75-unit project.
“That was part of the stipulation of investing in these types of projects was to make sure that it was accessible and affordable based on the market rates here,” said Blumenfeld.
ALICE reports for Wisconsin last year found 34% of households statewide struggle to afford basic needs like housing.
A 2020 Green Bay area housing study found 75 to 170 units with rents up to $1,030 need to be added each year by 2040 to meet demand.
“I think this is a template,” said Blumenfeld. “I think this project can be used and repeated all over the state where the community needs are there to build something just like this.”
$525 million was included in the last state budget for affordable housing initiatives.
More than a quarter of the funding for the $20.4 million project came from tax credits. Development officials say assistance is almost a necessity these days for affordable housing projects.
“It goes back to construction costs, as well as interest rates right now,” said Aaron Schutte, Ashwaubenon’s Community Development Director. “To get a project to pencil out, it’s expensive and to eventually recapture those costs over time, the rents have to be a certain level.”
Rents at Berkshire are between $895 and $1,695 a month for one and two-bedroom units. Occupancy is currently 71%.
The complex also includes 15 workforce townhomes. They’re expected to be fully occupied soon.
Affordable housing is generally defined as the occupants paying no more than 30-percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.
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