For decades, the Wisconsin Homeowners Alliance (WHA) has worked to ensure the voice of property owners has been heard. 

To keep the voice growing, the WHA began the year of 2023 with a goal of attracting 1,000 new members to the organization. With just over 2,200 active members who participated in programs over the years that helped to strengthen property rights as well as help elected officials understand the importance of maintaining the strict property tax levy limits, adding another 1,000 members was a lofty goal. 

The WHA surpassed the goal in surprising fashion — more than 1,669 new members joined the WHA ranks in 2023. 

This means there are nearly 4,000 individual voices that can be raised to help increase awareness on issues important to property owners throughout Wisconsin. That isn’t a bad number. And anytime we can activate 4,000 voices to a worthy cause such as property rights is something to be proud of. 

But is it enough? Are we getting the message out statewide about homeownership and the benefits of being a property owner? Moreover, are we getting to the right audience?

The WHA believes we have a bigger audience to attract. Without a doubt, people want to live the American Dream. They want to own a home, and they want the freedom that being a property owner brings personally and financially, like the space to grow and raise a family, access to better schools, building generational wealth and downsizing on their own terms. These are the reasons why the WHA needs to branch out. The WHA should be targeting current home and property owners as well as those who have yet to achieve homeownership to be a part of the WHA voice.

Think of your family, friends, neighbors, their children and their parents who have all been looking for housing. They have saved their down payment, they qualified for a loan, they have done their due diligence, found the area they want to live, and yet they have lost out on property after property because inventory is too low. Whether it’s their first home or they are downsizing, they have been outbid — five, seven or even 10 times because there is not enough housing supply. 

The renters who dream of buying a home, weary buyers who have made multiple offers and have never won, and those who want to downsize — these are the voices the WHA needs. 

One of the biggest reasons for the lack of inventory? Local opposition from the Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) activists. NIMBYs are loud, coordinated and attend local city council meetings and county board meetings when developers propose to build housing the community so badly needs. Often NIMBYs successfully delay or stop the approval of the proposed housing developments. 

The NIMBY voice is loud. But the WHA can be louder. The WHA intends to grow the voice of the “YIMBY ” — Yes in My Backyard — the voice of those who aspire or plan to live in the communities need to stand up at these meetings and speak as the next generation of homeowners and the aging population. 

This is where the WHA will need your help by spreading the word. Tell your family, friends and neighbors to join the WHA. Help the WHA tackle every single city council meeting and every single county board meeting across this state. Fill these rooms and speak up for housing.

If we stand together, with one voice, they will have no choice but to listen. 

Put an end to the lack of housing inventory in Wisconsin.