Madison’s Latest Efforts to Create More Housing

The City of Madison is continuing its efforts to create more housing with another round of initiatives. On September 9, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, members of the Common Council, and community groups including 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin, AARP Wisconsin, Centro Hispano, Madison is for People, Realtors Association of South-Central Wisconsin, Strong Towns, Urban League of Greater Madison, United Way of Dane County, and Working Families Power announced three proposals that were introduced in the Common Council agenda on September 16 and two additional proposals scheduled for consideration in October.

This new slate of proposals will make it easier to build smaller, more affordable homes and simplify the permitting process to create more housing opportunities across Madison.

Image credit: Office of the Mayor

Fall 2025 Housing Proposals

• Increase maximum allowed heights in height transition areas
• Adjustments to lot area, lot width, and alley attached garage rear setback minimums
• Allow two Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in a detached building and simplify accessory structure rules

Proposals to be introduced in October

• Allowing “cottage court” developments in residential zoning districts
• Updates to Transit Oriented Development Overlay Zone

Public Information Meeting

A public meeting will be held virtually on September 30 for residents to learn more about the proposals. Use the link in the title to register.

Comments from Supporters

A majority of Alders are sponsoring the September proposals and significant support from the Common Council is expected for the October proposals.

"Madison has always been a great place to live, and our city has long benefited from people coming here, falling in love with this community, and choosing to lay down roots. Whether you’re a student renting your first apartment, a young family hoping to buy your first home, or someone looking to downsize later in life, Madison should have opportunities available for you."

— Alder MGR Govindarajan

"My district is in the southwest corner of the City. I'm supporting these latest proposals because it provides more flexibility to create additional housing. When I talk to my residents, I'm hearing about this issue more and more. So I'm happy to see these initiatives moving forward. "

— Alder Badri Lankella

"Cottage Courts are very exciting to me. This type of missing middle housing creates pocket neighborhoods where community can thrive. "

— Alder Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford

Additionally, a broad coalition of community groups have endorsed this legislation to create more housing in Madison. 

"As Madison continues to struggle in keeping up with the demand for housing, these new policy proposals will further address barriers - allowing more housing types and flexibility for home and property owners. These zoning adjustments can empower residents to age in place with more effective land use, stay connected to their neighbors, or even help attain down-sized/up-sized housing that meets their needs."

— Trevor Roark, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin 

"Mayor Rhodes-Conway and the Council’s latest round of policy proposals marks another critical step toward expanding quality, affordable homeownership opportunities in Madison. These initiatives reflect a deep commitment to equity, economic mobility, and neighborhood revitalization. The Urban League of Greater Madison is proud of our longstanding partnership with the City which has included award-winning single-family housing development projects that have helped over 70 families become first-time homeowners and build millions in equity, as well as ongoing support of our HUD-certified financial and homeownership education programs. Thanks to our partnership with the City of Madison and others, we are empowering communities and changing lives."

— Dr. Ruben L. Anthony Jr., President & CEO of Urban League of Greater Madison 

"Through recent policies and proposals, the Mayor is encouraging us to re-imagine what is possible for families. For Latine families at Centro, homeownership is often perceived to be out of reach. Change is never easy, but it is certainly necessary if we are to live our values in Madison of a more inclusive city for all."

— Karen Menendez, Executive Director of Centro Hispano  

"United Way of Dane County supports housing proposals and ordinance changes that will result in more affordable housing options in our community."

— Jody Bartnick, Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Dane County

"We strongly support the City’s height transition and ADU reforms. We also cautiously support the lot minimum reduction proposal, despite our concern that its very limited scope risks it being more symbolic than substantive. Amending this package to further reduce lot minimums would triple the impact. A fast-following proposal to apply this effort to yet-unmentioned zones would quintuple the results. Together, these amendments and future additions can turn symbolic progress into real results."

— Madison is for People

"We recognize Mayor Rhodes-Conway’s proposed zoning changes as incremental steps toward increasing missing middle housing and expanding housing choice in Madison,” said Jim Flaherty of AARP Wisconsin. “We’re especially enthusiastic about efforts to adopt ordinances that allow duplex accessory dwelling units and simplify ADU lot requirements."

— Jim Flaherty, Director of Communications for AARP Wisconsin 

"We support the City of Madison's most recent proposed steps towards a more flexible housing environment and look forward to future proposals that contribute to increasing housing options in existing, highly desirable neighborhoods."

— Mike Tarby, Strong Town Madison 

"Madison is taking meaningful steps to address our community’s housing challenges by removing unnecessary barriers to new homes. Creating more housing options will help ensure that families, workers, young professionals, students, and seniors can continue to live and thrive here. We support these efforts to expand housing choices and strengthen our neighborhoods."

— Rob Procter, Government Affairs Director for The Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin  

"People across Madison are excited for these changes because they know what it means for working class families: more homes, more chances to own a home, and a city that works for everyone, not just the rich and powerful. These changes will help make sure the people who keep our city going can afford to live here and we applaud Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, her staff, and the Common Council for their diligent work to get this done. "

— Maxwell Love, Campaign Director for Working Families Power  

For Later Consideration: Updating the zoning district for some “planned development” neighborhoods

Dating back several decades, some single- and two-family neighborhoods were developed under a unique, site-specific zoning code. These districts remain unchanged while the city other development codes have been updated over time. This has made it harder for property owners and the City to navigate what can be done on a property, and in some cases has caused unfair hurdles to relatively straightforward property improvements. This code change will evaluate how these unique zoning districts could be replaced with more widely used zoning districts so that the City can better support property owners’ needs over time.