Madison Development Corporation is expanding its role as affordable housing provider By Frank Staniszewski

Madison Development Corporation (MDC) owns and manages over 250 apartments, with a Mission to provide quality, affordable housing in Madison and Dane County. MDC expanded its housing mission in 1996, growing from 27 units to over 250 today, and expects to continue growing to meet the need for affordable housing.

Some of our larger properties include Bassett Warehouse Apartments on W. Washington Ave., The Avenue Apartments on E. Washington Ave., Forest Harbor Apartments on Allen Blvd. in Middleton, and Terrace View Apartments on Old Middleton Rd., just east of Whitney Way. All MDC properties are mixed income communities with market rate apartments and substantial numbers of units at affordable rents, made available to people with low and moderate incomes. MDC accepts and encourages Section 8 applicants in all MDC properties.

MDC is a housing provider. We do not have social service capacity, but we invite cooperation with numerous service providers to help tenants in need. Several of our partners include Transitional Housing Inc. (THI), Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM), Community Action Coalition (CAC), Housing Initiatives, Options in Community Living, and Access to Independence. These agencies can provide security deposit assistance, living skills, and support independent living for people with disabilities.

Our property manager, Lee Anne Banks is committed to continually building this network of agencies. “By utilizing the community support that is out there, we are able to work together to build a strong, healthy community. In many cases this means the difference in providing that second chance or helping residents with challenges live on their own. We really appreciate the agencies working with us.” LeeAnne Banks.

As a non-profit, MDC can bring financing and other resources to projects from Community Development Block Grants, WHEDA, tax credits, and other Federal, State or local agencies. These resources allow us to keep rents affordable. Also, since we are non-profit, any surplus income generated can be re-invested in existing properties or used to acquire or develop additional affordable projects. Since taking over some of the projects mentioned above, MDC has re-invested over $1 million to improve the properties. As part of our commitment to quality, we try to maintain our buildings as well, or better, than private market-rate buildings in our neighborhoods.

We are also committed to attract and develop quality tenants that take similar pride in their homes. We often take applicants that previously experienced difficulty in finding a place to live. These tenants are given shorter term leases to demonstrate that those difficulties were not justified and to give them a second chance.

We have high expectations and policies for all our properties and all of our tenants, which we administer fairly and impartially. We hope that any tenant in an MDC property can find long term housing with MDC or go on to qualify for housing anywhere in Dane County. “As I always tell staff, we need to manage our properties so that all of us would be proud to live there,” Catherine Joy, Vice President.

Anyone interested in an application for any of MDC’s rental apartments should contact Lee Anne Banks, Property Manager at 256-2799 Ext. 16.