OAK CREEK, Wis. – Oak Creek residents packed City Hall Monday night to voice their concerns about a proposed affordable housing development that would bring up to 50 single-family homes to county-owned land near Highway 32 and E American Avenue.
Milwaukee County Housing Services is proposing the development, known as the 9050 S. Annette Place Development Plan, which would be funded by $7 million in federal dollars. Housing Services Administrator James Mathy said the project would not use any funding from the City of Oak Creek.
According to the plan, the homes would be built for immediate homeownership and priced between $225,000 and $250,000. Deed restrictions would be put in place to ensure long-term affordability after resale, and buyers would be required to complete an application process.
"Our job is to build affordable housing, not luxury units," James Mathy from Milwaukee County Housing Division said.
Watch: Oak Creek residents voice concerns over proposed affordable housing development
The project sparked heated debate from neighbors who worry about increased traffic, reduced green space and potential impacts on their property values.
"Affordable housing is needed. But a government artificially capping houses is market manipulation. Market manipulation will always have winners and losers, and right now we are the losers," resident Jeremy Basterash said.
Daniel Flaten, who lives directly adjacent to the proposed development site, reached out to TMJ4 with questions about how the project would affect his neighborhood.
"For them to put all this in... Well, the traffic is going to be a lot more. That was my biggest concern," Flaten said. "This is the quietest neighborhood I've ever lived in. I know all the neighbors. Everybody knows everybody."
Despite his traffic worries, Flaten expressed optimism about the development's potential benefits.
"I kind of look forward to it. I think it'll be good for the actual whole neighborhood," Flaten said.
The county plans to hold additional meetings about the proposed development. They say, one will be on February 24 and the other will be on April 6.
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