BROOKFIELD, Wis. — For the first time in its history, the City of Brookfield now has an affordable housing apartment complex, addressing a critical need for workforce housing in Waukesha County.
"Employees in this area have too few places to live," said Mike Mooney, a Brookfield business owner who has operated in the area for nearly four decades.
The new development, called "The Flats at Bishop's Woods," is located near Elm Grove Road and Bluemound Road. It represents a significant shift in housing options for workers in a community where the average home costs $460,000.
Mooney has been a vocal advocate for affordable housing in Brookfield, even attending multiple common council meetings to support the project.
"Even though I had nothing to gain personally advocating for three meetings for this, I felt it was a good thing for the community," Mooney said.
TMJ4 has been listening to community concerns about workforce housing for years, and we're hearing from both business owners and developers that this project helps address a significant imbalance between jobs and housing in the area.
Watch: Brookfield business owner advocates for city's first affordable housing complex to address critical shortage
Kevin McDonell, regional project partner with Lincoln Avenue Communities, explained that his company spent nearly a decade searching for a suitable location in Brookfield.
"There wasn't the availability of land, very competitive market, but with COVID, we saw a big shift," McDonell said.
That shift came when office buildings began emptying during the pandemic. The developers were able to demolish two vacant buildings in the Bishop Woods office park to make way for the new apartment complex.
The housing shortage in Waukesha County is particularly acute. According to data shared with TMJ4, the county has the highest imbalance in Wisconsin between jobs and homes, with 1.37 jobs for every available residence.
"There are a lot of jobs in Brookfield and the county, but not enough homes, so the need is tremendous," McDonell said.
We're working to understand how this development might impact the local workforce and economy as the project progresses toward completion.
When finished, the complex will offer approximately 200 units. Already, nearly all one-bedroom apartments have been rented, demonstrating the strong demand for affordable housing options in the area.
"This is a great place to work, but it helps to be able to live not far from where you work," Mooney said.
People will begin moving into the first phase of the apartment complex at the end of October. Construction of all units is expected to be completed by spring.
This story was reported 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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