Between 2010 and 2021, the city of Marinette, Wisconsin realized a 2% increase in the proportion of the population in the workforce (US Census Bureau, 2019). Of the 10,701 people who work in Marinette, about 75 percent (8,063 people) commute into the city from other areas such as Menominee and Peshtigo (Bay Lake Regional Planning Commission, 2021). Unfortunately, the current housing situation in Marinette is not equipped to support this growth
and is evident in the fact that many employees reside outside of the city in other areas. With workers residing outside of Marinette, they experience longer commute times that are associated with a decrease in health and life satisfaction while increasing stress levels. Additionally, residing in the community in which one lives improves the quality of life by allowing more time for friends, family, and leisure activities as well as improving community connectedness. Marinette leaders aim to explore ways to make their city more attractive so commuters choose to reside locally. Improving the housing options in the area was identified as an area of exploration given that Marinette’s current housing is outdated, expensive, and scarce. The Mayor’s office is leading a variety of efforts toward increasing the variety of housing options and needs support gathering data to learn just how large the need is for improved housing availability. To address this, our proposal identifies three evidence-based approaches aimed at improving the housing situation for the employees of Marinette: 1) Create a survey for employees of Marinette Marine and the top 10 employers about their attitudes toward and needs for Marinette housing; 2) Collect data on 1: barriers to accessing housing in Marinette, 2: aspects of Marinette that attract residents, and 3) Create an infographic describing health benefits of employees living in the community targeted to employers.
UniverCity Contact Info: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu