CEDARBURG, Wis. — Ozaukee County has approved a $72,000 housing study to examine why housing prices across the county continue rising faster than wages — a trend residents and officials say is pushing working families out of communities like Cedarburg.
The county board approved the study proposal from Baker Tilly at its meeting in early June, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Cedarburg completed its own housing study earlier in 2026, a study that is already helping the city form its future development plans.
Watch: Ozaukee County launches study about rising housing costs:
Caitlin Steinberg, a Cedarburg EMT and historian who grew up in the city, said the affordability shift is already reshaping who can call the community home.
"All of my friends from high school, they don't live in Cedarburg," Steinberg said. "Nobody can afford to buy a home in the town they grew up in."
Steinberg's family company, Freeman Builders, helped construct many homes in the area — though she noted she does not speak on the company's behalf. She said the region's appeal was once rooted in its accessibility to young families.
"It was far more affordable than it is today, and that is why it attracted young families," Steinberg said. "(The idea was) for a family to be able to build an affordable house that they can stay in for their entire life."
The county's housing study comes as Ozaukee communities explore ways to add more affordable homes and apartments.
But not all residents are welcoming of new developments. In the last year and a half, TMJ4 has covered several controversial housing projects countywide. In Cedarburg, neighbors even started putting out anti-development yard signs in early 2025.
The latest such project drawing ire is a proposed medium-density, 394-plot development on Highway 60.
Chris Eggert, a Cedarburg resident, said new subdivisions lack the character that defines the city.
"These developers all come in, and the subdivisions all look the same," Eggert said. "We have very eclectic neighborhoods in Cedarburg, and people want to maintain that."
Baker Tilly's proposal notes the challenge is not a shortage of housing supply overall, but a shortage of the right kind of supply.
Steinberg said new developments, like the proposed one on Highway 60, do not have to be the enemy — but it does need to come with transparency.
"Responsible development in Cedarburg shouldn't be villainized, but it must be accompanied with explanations to the residents so that their lives will not be negatively impacted," Steinberg said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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