La Crosse housing program has big 2018 in the works

As a new year is about to start, a home-building project in La Crosse is seeing rapid growth.

In just a little over two years, the La Crosse Promise campaign has changed the look of a couple of La Crosse neighborhoods with newly-built homes.

Last week, the organization showed off 13 home construction projects in the Powell-Poage neighborhood area.

Local developer Delores Spies heads the company that is building many of those new houses.

“We’ve bought seven lots so far,” Spies said. “Well, actually more than that but completed seven properties.”

The Promise campaign has succeeded in bringing new families to the Powell and Washburn neighborhoods, partly by offering college scholarships to the families that promise to keep the houses for several years. That promise has brought change to the neighborhoods.

“If you talk to the residents in these neighborhoods, long time residents will walk around and tell you the difference that they feel as a result of this activity,” Promise executive director Brian Liesinger said.

La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat said Promise could soon expand its territory into the north side, by helping put new houses near the floodplain area.