City revitalizes La Crosse neighborhoods with ‘Tif 14 Initiative’
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — The city of La Crosse is investing in the future of its neighborhoods.
It’s through a program called the “Tif 14 Initiative.” It started a few years ago with the Gundersen Health System development project. Any tax revenue coming out of the project is reinvested into nearby neighborhoods. The city demolishes old houses and builds new single family homes for qualified families looking to move into the area.
The hope is to build 100 single family homes in the next 15 years.
“Right now there are a lot of rentals and so we’re trying to stabilize the neighborhood, bring more families here so that they can take pride in their property, and kind of help revitalize the neighborhood,” said Caroline Neilsen, community development administrator for La Crosse.
Families in the program buy the home, but the city does give incentives, like providing down payment assistance. One mother who is in the program just recently closed on a home in the Powell-Poage-Hamilton neighborhood.
“I actually have been house hunting for about six months and I saw this house and it was like too good to be true because the price was so low and it’s gorgeous, perfect, beautiful house,” said Katie Donohue.
This year the city brought in more than $2,000,000 in new tax base for the city through the program.
