ABOUT US

About Housing Authority of the City of Wisconsin Rapids

Mission Statement

"The mission of the Housing Authority of the City of Wisconsin Rapids is to assist low-income families by creating strong, safe, sustainable, inclusive and affordable housing opportunities as they strive to achieve self-sufficiency and improve the quality of their lives. The Housing Authority is committed to operating in an efficient, ethical and professional manner. The Housing Authority will create and maintain partnerships with its clients and appropriate community agencies while investing in mixed financing opportunities for rehabilitation of existing properties and home ownership plans in order to accomplish this mission."

About Us

The Housing Authority of the City of Wisconsin Rapids was created in the late 1960’s to provide affordable housing for low-income tenants. Our first apartment building, Parkview Apartments, located at 1750 2nd Avenue South in Wisconsin Rapids, was built in 1970 with 68 units (four stories). All are one-bedroom except the caretaker unit, which is two-bedroom. Preferences for this building are for elderly (62 years of age and older) and near elderly (50 years of age up to age 62). Our second apartment building, 10th Avenue Apartments, located at 220 10th Avenue North in Wisconsin Rapids, was built in 1981 with 25 units (two stories). All units are one-bedroom. Preferences are for elderly and near elderly. All apartments are smoke-free. Most of these apartment units have one occupant per unit, but some have two occupants per unit. Some of the tenants have varying ranges of disability, with the most significant involving limitations to mobility.

In 1973 and 1974, the Housing Authority erected 37 scattered site family homes to serve low-income families. These homes range from two-bedrooms to five bedrooms and are scattered all through the city of Wisconsin Rapids. There are three two-bedroom duplexes serving six families. Additionally, there are 20 three-bedroom units, nine four-bedroom units and two five-bedroom units.

The Public Housing units described above (130 units in total) maintain occupancy of 96-98%. The Housing Authority is consistently assessed as a high performing agency by HUD. We strive very hard to maintain our units to create the best possible living experience for our tenants, who pay 30 percent of their adjusted gross income as rent.

On May 1, 2021, the Housing Authority converted its 65-unit Huntington House apartments from the Public Housing program through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program to RAD Project Based Vouchers. The conversion allowed the Housing Authority to leverage various funding sources to rehabilitate the building.

The Housing Authority also has a Section 8 program with 243 authorized housing choice vouchers, but issues the number of vouchers based on available funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Low-income families are provided a tenant-based voucher and select a residence to rent that meets inspection standards. They enter into a lease with the landlord and agree to pay 30% of their income toward their rent. The landlord enters into a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract with the Housing Authority. Under the terms of the HAP contract, the Housing Authority pays the balance of the rent to the landlord.

Resident focused, Caring staff

One of the benefits to working with the team at the Wisconsin Rapids Housing Authority is the fact that we care about our residents. We know that looking for a home for your family can be stressful, and we do everything we can to help you through that.

We are sensitive to the needs of specific requests, such as large families in need of bigger homes and disabled family members. Please always feel free to be open with us about any challenges you may have. We will work hard to see that your needs are met and your housing is suitable. Every staff member we have is trained in how to best help you find a home for your family. It's what we do, and we are very dedicated to the process. Give our office a call today to set up your appointment. We'll talk you through all the steps and let you know exactly what we need from you to get going.

Call us today at 715-423-7288 for more information about our housing assistance services.