Menomonie, WI – A new “Housing in Menomonie” community report released by GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW) sheds light on the pain, uncertainty, and frustration Menomonie residents face due to rising rents, substandard living conditions, and limited housing availability. Visit bit.ly/groww-housing to view the full report.
The report documents the firsthand stories of Menomonie residents, showing the housing crisis through the real consequences facing everyday people in our community.
A local veteran talked about the declining quality of housing: “I served my country, and now I’m living in a place with mold and broken windows. It’s humiliating, but I don’t have any other options.”
Another resident shared their frustration with rent prices: “Every year, my rent goes up, and every year, I have less to spend on groceries, gas, and my kids. It’s like I’m paying more for nothing.”
These are just a few of the stories told in the report, and understanding the pain facing Menomonie residents is vital for working on solutions.
“This report isn’t about data and numbers, it’s about real people facing real struggles,” said Cody Gentz, a Menomonie City Councilman and member of the Housing Justice Team. “We heard from families who can’t afford rent increases, seniors who struggle to find accessible housing, and students living in unhealthy conditions. Menomonie deserves better.”
In addition to challenges, residents also offered possible solutions to their housing concerns, such as changing zoning laws to allow more types of housing and bringing back municipal rental inspections.
“I own and live in a duplex in east Menomonie that I bought in 1997,” said Margo Hecker, a local Menomonie landlord. “Every year, a city building inspector would come to look at my upstairs apartment and recommend any changes needed for safety reasons. I appreciated the feedback and guidance. Renters here deserve to have the security of knowing their rental has passed an inspection by the city.”
The report was compiled by GROWW’s Housing Justice Team, formed in the Spring of 2024, and is the culmination of a months-long listening campaign that engaged hundreds of residents in the community.
Dunn County residents and GROWW organizers came together to start exploring local solutions to housing problems, feeling that the local, state, and federal governments were not doing enough.
The Team engaged residents to document the realities of housing in Menomonie in order to determine the most pressing and impactful housing problems. Through a grassroots listening campaign the team knocked on 558 doors, held three community listening sessions, and surveyed nearly 200 students at UW-Stout.
Their findings confirm what many in the community have long felt: the housing crisis in Menomonie is real, severe, and complex.
The full report is available at bit.ly/groww-housing.
