MADISON, WI – Yesterday, State Senator Brad Pfaff held a press conference in La Crosse, highlighting Senate Democrats’ commitment to addressing Wisconsin’s housing crisis and cutting costs.Senator Pfaff was joined by La Crosse County Board Supervisors Grant Mathu and Kelly Liebold, who emphasized that housing remains one of the top issues in their communities.

The four bills introduced, and part of the Health and Housing legislative package, included expanding the Homestead Tax Credit, banning hedge funds from buying single-family homes, banning algorithmic rent hikes, and improving Wisconsin’s housing stock.

Read More on State Senator Brad Pfaff’s push for the Affordable Wisconsin Legislative Package:

WXOW News 19: Sen. Pfaff introduces Senate Democrats’ “Affordable Wisconsin” legislative package

  • “Pfaff said the 18-bill plan focuses on lowering costs for healthcare, groceries, childcare and housing.”
  • “The package also proposes increasing the Homestead Tax Credit income limit from $24,680 to $35,000, allowing more people to qualify. Pfaff said more needs to be done to support families and first-time homebuyers, however.”
  • “‘Having affordable housing, having safe communities, giving opportunities for first-time home buyers to get into a home before the age of 40, that is something that’s a no-brainer, and again it’s disappointing that we did not do more,’ Pfaff said.”
  • “Pfaff also said he wants to limit hedge funds from purchasing homes and ban the use of algorithms to set housing prices, calling it a distortion of the market.”

News 8 Now: Pfaff introduces a pair of ‘Affordable Wisconsin’ packages

  • “Pfaff says the health and housing and families first packages are aimed at cutting costs for families across the state, adding it comes at a critical time as housing costs alone are up 6.5% from a year ago.”
  • “‘Make sure that we keep hedge funds, Wall Street hedge funds, out of coming into communities like Lacrosse and around the state and buying up apartment complexes or single family homes and pricing working families out of their homes.’”
  • “Pfaff also says the bills would expand the homestead tax credit from the first $24,000 to $35,000.”