First Infrastructure Access Loan for new single family home development is part of a public-private partnership to address the workforce housing shortage for area employers
PLYMOUTH, Wisc. — Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) CEO & Executive Director Elmer Moore, Jr., together with local public leaders, employers, and stakeholders, today celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Scholar’s Ridge development in Plymouth, Wisconsin.
Developed through the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation’s (SCEDC) Housing Initiative, the subdivision will include affordable single family homes. This project is made possible with Sheboygan County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds used to acquire the land, private donors of the Forward Fund (Sargento, Masters Gallery Foods, Kohler, and Johnsonville), WHEDA’s Infrastructure Access Loan (the first of its kind for single family housing), and funds from the City of Plymouth.
“From our smallest towns and villages to our biggest cities, addressing the issue of affordable workforce housing is absolutely critical to building a strong workforce, strong communities, and a strong state. My administration and I are proud of the work we have done to expand access to affordable housing, including securing one of the largest investments in workforce housing in our state’s history,” said Gov. Evers. “With the addition of Scholar’s Ridge, Sheboygan County is creating the blueprint for the public-private partnerships required to accomplish projects like this, and the folks in Plymouth will have over 100 more affordable homes that will make a notable difference in the lives of the individuals and families who live here.”
The development is being funded with a $3.4 million Infrastructure Access Loan, administered by WHEDA. The funding is one of three loan programs (Vacancy-to-Vitality, Infrastructure Access, and Restore Main Street) which were created through bipartisan legislation signed by Gov. Evers in 2023 and supported by $525 million—the largest state investment in workforce housing in state history—provided by the 2023-25 Biennial Budget.
To date, these three programs have supported nearly 3,500 workforce housing units statewide, building on the Evers Administration’s long-standing efforts to expand access to affordable housing. All told, since 2019, more than 35,000 housing units have been built to address the needs of Wisconsin’s workforce, families, seniors, and communities.
“Building the housing Wisconsin needs requires innovation, investment, and collaboration. Partnerships like this demonstrate what’s possible when the public and private sectors work together toward the shared goal of creating affordable workforce housing in communities across our state,” said WHEDA CEO & Executive Director Elmer Moore, Jr.
Scholar’s Ridge is the third subdivision developed through the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation’s (SCEDC) Housing Initiative, which is creating 600 entry-level affordable single family homes to address the region’s critical housing shortage.
Located on 32-acres along Pleasant View Road in Plymouth, the Scholar’s Ridge development will bring 102 new single family homes to the community, with each home priced to provide attainable homeownership opportunities for working families.
