MATTER OF FACT, BUYING A HOME OFTEN CONSIDERED A STAPLE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM, IS NOW OUT OF REACH FOR MANY PEOPLE ACROSS THE U.S. FOR ABOUT 4 MILLION HOUSING UNITS SHORT AND THAT’S HAVING A REAL IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY. WHILE BUSINESSES MAY BE THRIVING AND LOOKING TO GROW, A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING MAKES IT HARD FOR THEM TO RECRUIT WORKERS IN WISCONSIN. THEY NEED AT LEAST 140,000 NEW HOUSING UNITS BY 2030. THAT’S LESS THAN SIX YEARS AWAY. OUR CORRESPONDENT JESSICA GOMEZ TRAVELED TO SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WHERE FOUR FAMILY OWNED BUSINESSES ARE JOINING FORCES TO CREATE A SOLUTION. HOW FAR SHOULD I GO WITH THE TAPE? JAMIE AND JAKE THOMPSON PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THEIR BRAND NEW HOME IN SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WISCONSIN. IT FEELS GREAT. LIKE I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE IN THIS POSITION. IT’S ALREADY LOOKING BETTER THAN WHAT IT WAS. SO YES, WITH MORE THAN $80,000 IN COMBINED STUDENT LOAN DEBT, THE 28 YEAR OLDS DIDN’T HAVE NEARLY ENOUGH FOR A DOWN PAYMENT. WE WERE DEFINITELY THINKING THAT WE WOULD BE RENTING AN APARTMENT FOR QUITE A LONG TIME BEFORE WE EVEN GOT A HOUSE. I AM A SENIOR SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYST FOR THE SERVICE PARTS TEAM. JAMIE WORKS FOR KOHLER, THE COMPANY KNOWN FOR ITS KITCHEN AND BATH FIXTURES. IT’S NOT AS TRENDY AS OUR MODERN BRANDS, AND PART OF THE REASON SHE’S NOW A HOMEOWNER. WE ALL CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT THE STABILITY AND THE THE ABILITY TO THRIVE WITH OUR WORKFORCE. LAURA KOHLER, CHIEF SUSTAINABLE LIVING OFFICER AND GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE COMPANY’S FOUNDER. WE HAVE 160 ROLES OPEN RIGHT NOW FOR THIS LOCATION. THAT IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AT A GREAT BRAND, A GLOBAL BRAND, ONE THAT’S 150 YEARS OLD, BUT MOST PEOPLE WILL SAY, I JUST CAN’T FIND THE PLACE TO LIVE. LIKE A LOT OF PLACES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, WE’RE LOOKING AT 1500 ENTRY LEVEL HOUSES THAT WE NEED. DON HAMMOND, CHAIR OF THE SHEBOYGAN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. HE SAYS THE RURAL COUNTY ON THE SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN HAS NEARLY 2000 OPEN POSITIONS. ABOUT 30% OF THE WORKFORCE HERE IN MANUFACTURING JOBS. WHEN THEY TALK TO POTENTIAL PEOPLE LOOKING TO MOVE UP HERE, AND THERE’S NOT A PLACE FOR THEM TO MOVE TO, YOU KNOW, WHO WANTS TO MOVE A FAMILY OF FOUR INTO AN APARTMENT? THEY WANT TO MOVE INTO A HOUSE. AND SO THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO BUILD FOR THEM. THE COUNTY WITH HELP FROM FOUR MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILY OWNED COMPANIES, INCLUDING KOHLER, TEAMED UP EACH DONATING $2 MILLION TO FUND NEW ENTRY LEVEL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. THIS IS THE BEDFORD, ONE OF THREE MODELS THAT WE HAVE 1350FT, THREE BEDROOMS, TWO BATHS. THE HOME SOLD AT COST FOR JUST MORE THAN $300,000, WITH $65,000 IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. BUT THERE ARE CONDITIONS BUYERS CAN’T EARN MORE THAN 140% OF THE COUNTY’S MEDIAN INCOME. NOW, ABOUT $130,000, AND THEIR TOTAL NET WORTH CAN’T. EXCEED $350,000. WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, VRBO’S OR FLIPPERS OR ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. WE WANT PEOPLE THAT REALLY WANT TO MAKE A HOME HERE IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY. THE FIRST TWO DEVELOPMENT PHASES,. 95 HOMES IN TOTAL, EXPECTED TO BE BE FINISHED BY THE END OF 2026, WITH PREFERENCE GOING TO THOSE MOVING INTO THE COUNTY AND FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS. I AM PERSONALLY VESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE I WAS RAISED HERE, LOUIS GEN TEEN CEO OF SARGENTO FOODS, THE THIRD GENERATION CHEESE MANUFACTURING COMPANY. AMONG THOSE DONATING TO THE INITIATIVE, I SAID, SIGN ME UP AND LET’S FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO IT. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. ALTHOUGH WE MIGHT BE COMPETING, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR WORKFORCE AND OUR LABOR NEEDS, WE ALL ARE FAMILY OWNED BUSINESSES THAT UNDERSTAND THE BIGGER PICTURE OF JUST HAVING A GOOD, HEALTHY, THRIVING COMMUNITY. IMAGINE THIS DORMITORY WAS BUILT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MAIN OFFICE AND THE FACTORY BACK AT KOHLER, PROVIDING EMPLOYEE HOUSING IS NOTHING NEW. THE COMPANY’S NOW FIVE STAR RESORT ONCE DORMITORIES FOR EUROPEAN IMMIGRANT WORKERS. ONCE THEY SAVED ENOUGH, THE COMPANY BUILT HOMES FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES TO BE HOMEOWNERS? YOU REALLY START TO THINK ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HOME OWNERSHIP IS THE BASE OF THAT. IT REALLY CREATES THE ROOTS FOR A FAMILY. SO I THINK IF MORE COMPANIES REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY CAN HELP WITH STABILIZING COMMUNITIES, THEY WILL FIND AND REAP THE BENEFITS OF THAT OVER TIME. OUR PAPER TOWEL HOLDER FOR JAKE AND JAMIE THOMPSON, GRATITUDE FOR THE UNEXPECTED BENEFIT THEY RECEIVED A SHOT, THEY SAY AT THE AMERICAN DREAM. I’M LIKE, OH, LIKE OUR HOUSE IS SO CUTE. LIKE I LOVE IT. I’M OBSESSED WITH IT. SO IT’S A NICE FEELING. SO IT’S HOME. YEP. MHM. IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY WISCONSIN, FOR MATTER OF FACT I’M JESSICA GOMEZ. THE FORWARD FUND HOPES TO BUILD ABOUT FOUR HOMES PER MONTH OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, WITH THE GOAL OF 4 TO 500 HOUSES IN TOTAL. A PERSON DOESN’T HAVE TO WORK FOR ANY