City of La
Crosse Housing
Study
The City of La Crosse faces limited land for new housing development. The Mississippi River, steep slopes and adjacent jurisdictions create a nearly landlocked situation for the city. With a growing need for employees, a strong student housing market and several opportunities for infill development, the City retained RDG to assess the total need and provide strategies for making the most influence.
RDG found an average annual construction need of about 203-232 units through 2030. This rate is significantly more than what was produced in the previous decade, but it is necessary if the city wants to attract more workers, school enrollment, and stimulate movement in the housing market. The strategies for moving forward heavily focus on updating zoning codes with fourteen specific sections to update for housing growth and attainability. Five other goals in the study include guidance on who to lead strategies, the partners to involve, the target households, and the target housing types. The housing study helped to spur the city to invest funds to update its zoning and development codes in 2025.