Wisconsin Assembly passes workforce housing bills

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly has passed a package of bills touted by Republicans and the state’s building and real estate industries as a way to create more affordable housing for workers, reduce regulations and reform outdated practices.

The Assembly passed the measures on Tuesday.

A tight housing market, driven in part by a lack of inventory and decline in new construction, has resulted in rapidly rising housing prices in many areas, making it more difficult for people to purchase affordable homes.

Republicans who authored the bills pitched them as a way to make Wisconsin an attractive state for workers.