Baldwin secures $211 million for affordable housing, public safety, and infrastructure

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) successfully obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for projects in Wisconsin in the latest government funding package, which passed the Senate on March 8, averting a shutdown just hours before the government was set to run out of money.

The more than $211 million Baldwin secured will go toward dozens of projects, including building more affordable housing, shoring up infrastructure such as bridges and water treatment systems, updating public safety radio systems, and expanding child care facilities, to name just a few. 

The projects Baldwin helped secure funding for are located throughout Wisconsin.

Impact Seven, a group that finances affordable housing projects, will receive $4 million to build affordable housing units in the northwestern Wisconsin towns of Hayward, Ladysmith, Minong and Hurley.

Another $1 million will go to La Crosse County to help renovate the Hillview Health Care Center, a nursing home facility. Hillview Health Care Center is currently undergoing $20 million in renovations to add more housing for people at risk of homelessness. It is also adding a child care center. 

The Kenosha Area Business Alliance will receive $1.2 million from the bill to help construct the Kenosha Uptown Lofts project, which will have 71 units of affordable housing and will house a new branch of the Kenosha Public Library. 

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will receive $3.8 million to help replace the deteriorating Cole Memorial Bridge in Watertown. 

Elkhorn will receive $3.3 million to install a new water treatment system after the city was found in 2018 to have dangerous levels of arsenic and radium in its water. 

The River Food Pantry in Madison will receive $3 million to help build a new facility to serve more low-income residents in Dane County. In 2023, the River Food Pantry saw a 20% increase in the number of people it served, according to a report from Spectrum News. 

The Green County Family YMCA in Monroe will receive $1 million to help build a new child care center, community kitchen, and classroom space for both older people and youth.

“Delivering for Wisconsin communities, families, and businesses has always been my priority. I’m proud to bring home direct support to help keep our communities safe, stand behind our service members, and grow our agricultural economy,” Baldwin said in a news release. “These projects, whether its building more affordable housing, expanding access to childcare, or investing in our law enforcement, will address the specific needs of many different communities and help us build a stronger, safer, more resilient state.”