Public encouraged to take survey on struggles in finding housing

The City of La Crosse is looking for feedback of housing issues in the region.

What’s officially known as an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, there will be several public meetings and a chance to fill out a survey.

It will all lead to a fair housing study put together at the end of the year.

The last one in 2009 led to great results says the city’s Community Development Administrator Caroline Gregerson

“What we heard back in 2009 was the city should consider opening up some programs that seek to assist renters and it also called for us looking at our fair housing ordinance,” Gregerson said.

But while that survey focused solely on the City of La Crosse, she said they are now taking a more regional approach.

“We are hoping to engage people as far as Sparta or Tomah in this conversation,” Gregerson said, “because we know many people that are community all the way from Tomah, or are coming from there, so we want all perspectives there to talk to us about their housing search.”

Two public meetings were held Tuesday in La Crosse.

If you wish to take the survey, click here.

Some of the questions include:

• Is it difficult to find housing if you’re a millennial?
• What about a low income family?
• Have you ever been discriminated against when looking for places to live?