The Workforce Housing Lending Corporation is a newly created 501(c)(3) charitable corporation that is jointly governed by the Door County Community Foundation in partnership with the non-profit NeighborWorks Green Bay.

Our vision is simple.  Every fully employed person can afford a safe, quality place to live.

Our mission is ambitious. We are increasing the availability of workforce housing in Door County and potentially all of Northeast Wisconsin.

Our first step toward realizing our vision is to provide financial incentives for private developers to build affordable rental units that are within the price range of Door County’s working families. The affordable units might constitute the entirety of a construction project or may involve a negotiated number of affordable units set aside as a part of a larger development.

Unfortunately, private developers have a strong financial incentive to build their affordable rental properties in Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Appleton, or most any urban area other than rural Door County. Consequently, the affordable units that are constructed in Door County often involve a private developer with a personal commitment to our community. While we’re lucky to have so many generous people who love Door County, ultimately, this is not a sustainable business model. Door County needs a tool that removes the financial disincentive for a private developer to build in our community and perhaps even place a thumb on the scale so the decision to build tilts towards our peninsula.

That’s at the heart of this entire project. We are adding a new layer of financing that is only available if a developer builds their project in Door County.