The executive offices of both Dane County and the City of Madison allotted funds in their 2014 budgets, jointly funding a low-income housing project to assist Madison’s homeless population, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin separately announced Tuesday.
Parisi’s budget includes $750,000 to purchase a site to develop the low-income housing project for people who are homeless, according to the release. The development is expected to add a facility with 100 to 110 affordable housing units to the area.
This initiative is only a portion of the $252.2 million Parisi set aside in his budget to invest in human services, which is nearly half of the total county budget, according to a press release.
“We have much to be proud of in Dane County,” Parisi said in the release. “My 2014 budget builds upon the values we hold dear by making meaningful investments to strengthen children and families, our communities, economic development and our quality of life.”
The single-room occupancy facility will be developed in two phases, according to Soglin’s budget. In 2014, Soglin proposed spending $300,000 to plan the project. By 2016, the units are projected to be complete, at which time the cost is predicted to reach $4.2 million.
Soglin noted in his summary of the 2014 budget this partnership between Dane County and Madison is a significant part of the city budget and his Capital Improvement Plan through 2019.
Both budgets will go through the approval process of their respective municipalities before the project can move forward. If approved, the housing construction is set to begin in 2015.
