Sheboygan County families and employers face a severe affordable housing, childcare, and labor shortage. Several cross-sector task forces and various studies have identified these areas as the top barriers to growth in the county.
Based on these findings, the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC), a not-for-profit 501(c)(4), has raised funding to help address the workforce development barriers found in Sheboygan County. This includes a new community housing development program to support the construction of new affordable housing units.
The funding will serve as a continual financial arm to support short- and long-term workforce development barriers and will initially be used to drive new, entry-level home development. Early employer donors to this SCEDC-run program include Johnsonville, Kohler Co., Masters Gallery Foods, Inc., and Sargento Foods Inc., which have collectively donated $8 million to date with a total goal of raising $16 million. The financial commitment from these and other Sheboygan County organizations will help ensure affordable homes in the county for generations.
The current housing market is experiencing rapid price increases, exceeding the purchasing power of many working families. More than 2,500 full-time jobs are currently open in Sheboygan County. Pre-pandemic data from WisConomy anticipates 2,500 additional jobs will be created as part of the economic recovery.
To address this, the SCEDC will lead in developing approximately 600 housing units over the next three to five years throughout Sheboygan County to bring affordable housing to the market.
The SCEDC seeks financial contributions from other public and private Sheboygan County employers and organizations to help implement these workforce strategies that create a meaningful, positive, and sustainable impact.