MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has signed into law two new housing ordinances, calling them a critical step forward in adding more housing options in the city.
“This is enormously important,” Johnson said during a ceremonial signing Wednesday. “Because housing, it's got to be affordable, it's got to be available, and it's got to maintain a level of quality as well.”
The first ordinance focuses on accessory dwelling units, or ADUs -- small, secondary housing units that can be built on the same lot as an existing home.
Johnson said the new law “adds flexibility for resident owners to add new accessory dwelling units to their homes—that's an additional private residence inside, attached or adjacent to their houses.”
According to Mayor Johnson, ADUs can help families stay together, reduce housing costs, and even ease rent pressures across the city.
An ADU, he said, “would allow for an adult child who's coming back from college to be able to live at home and do it affordably, or for folks to be able to age in place.” He added, “As more homes are available, there's a moderating effect on rising rents throughout the city.”
The second ordinance updates Milwaukee’s comprehensive housing plan and expands zoning options to increase housing diversity.
“The changes include greater flexibility to build townhomes, to build cottage courts, and, as previously mentioned, accessory dwelling units or ADUs,” Johnson said.
Johnson credited city staff as well as the late Alderman Jonathan Brostoff for pushing the housing changes forward.
“He saw what was happening with housing prices in Milwaukee,” Johnson said, “and he wanted to make sure that everybody had a place to live in this city with dignity and with respect.”
For Johnson, the issue goes beyond rules and zoning maps.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day,” he said, “it was about people. It's about where people live. It's about how people live.”