After a session of advocating ways to address Wisconsin’s affordable housing shortage, State Rep. Dave Armstrong (R-Rice Lake) is happy to announce that Gov. Tony Evers signed four Armstrong-introduced housing proposals into law on April 8.  The Senate had passed all four bills on March 17, the last day of the regular 2025-2026 legislative session.

“As a state representative and as a county economic development director, I recognize the critical importance of affordable housing to a community’s long-term survival,” Representative Armstrong said.  “Nobody wants to work where they can’t afford to live. 

“Housing isn’t – or shouldn’t be – a Republican vs. Democratic issue, or an urban vs. rural issue – it affects all of us one way or another,” Representative Armstrong continued.  “I’m grateful for the increased interest the housing issue received in the Legislature this session and for the bipartisan support these proposals enjoyed in committee and on the Assembly and Senate floors.”

Governor Evers signed the following Armstrong bills into law on April 8:

  • Senate Bill 480 (now Act 235, introduced with Sen. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac), which allows communities to create residential tax increment districts to defray residential infrastructure costs for modestly sized, owner-occupied one- and two-family houses
  • Assembly Bill 182 (now Act 236), which updates the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, including a carve-out for developments in rural areas
  • Assembly Bill 194 (now Act 237), which reduces barriers to participation in several competitive loan programs the 2023-2024 Legislature created to encourage workforce and senior housing development
  • Assembly Bill 375 (now Act 238), which updates Wisconsin’s Historic Tax Credit program to encourage the preservation and rehabilitation of historic properties, including residential rentals

These proposals were just the latest Armstrong housing bills to become law.  Governor Evers had already approved two other proposals in recent weeks:

  • Assembly Bill 453 (now Act 173), which helps to reduce inconsistencies between a community’s comprehensive plan and its residential zoning ordinances; such inconsistencies can lead to delays, and added expense, for developments
  • Assembly Bill 737 (now Act 120), which allows developers to use the neighborhood improvement district mechanism to defray the initial costs of residential infrastructure through special assessments on subsequent property owners

Besides these housing bills, Governor Evers also recently signed a proposal that Representative Armstrong introduced to encourage investment in childcare.  Senate Bill 376 (now Act 183, also introduced with Senator Feyen) creates a state tax credit for businesses who provide childcare services for their employees, either in-house or through an outside provider.  The state credit mirrors an existing federal tax credit that expanded under the Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“Just as access to affordable housing is critical for a community’s long-term wellbeing, so is access to affordable childcare,” Representative Armstrong said.  “If a family, or a couple that would like to start a family, sees that a community is a childcare desert, they’re going to look elsewhere to settle down.

“I’m encouraged by the interest the Legislature has shown in these critical issues this session,” Representative Armstrong said.  “There’s no single magic bullet that can cure the housing or childcare problems, but it’s been an honor to work on a variety of approaches this session and to see them become law.”