Hilldale Row

Summary: The Partnership helped Joseph Freed and Associates market inclusionary zoning (IZ) condominiums in the first two phases of their Hilldale Row project. We continue to seek consulting opportunities in mixed-income projects throughout Wisconsin.

Staff contact: Kathy Kamp

Wisconsin Partnership's role: Consultant

Status of work: Completed in 2006

In early 2004, the City of Madison passed an inclusionary zoning (IZ) ordinance. The Partnership played an ‘honest broker’ role in development of the ordinance, which we saw as a means of expanding affordable housing opportunity and increasing neighborhood diversity in the expensive Dane County market.Under Madison’s IZ ordinance, developers of 10 or more homes within the city limits must make no less than15% of the units affordable to home buyers with household incomes at or below 80% of county median income (CMI)

In helping to fashion the IZ ordinance, the Partnership strengthened existing relationships with for-profit developers and formed some new alliances. For-profit developers now see the Partnership, with two recent mixed-income developments to its credit, as an attractive collaborator in efforts to plan for, finance and market housing to consumers who haven’t been part of their business.

In 2005, the Partnership embarked on joint ventures with for-profit developers of several Madison-area projects. One of those was Hilldale Row, a condominium development that is one facet of the larger Hilldale Mall renovation. Under contract to project developer Freed and Associates, the Partnership marketed six IZ condominiums in the first two phases of Hilldale Row. Our work included the following:

• Verifying buyer incomes
• Furnishing information about the IZ ordinance and city policies to prospective buyers
• Guiding buyers through the qualification process
• Referring buyers to possible sources of mortgage financing, down payment assistance and home ownership counseling.

Because we believe that mixed-income development is the most effective mechanism for increasing the supply of affordable housing, the Partnership continues to seek consulting opportunities in mixed-income projects throughtout Wisconsin.