Almost as quickly as you see them built, housing options in Sturgeon Bay are filling up. Addressing housing in the city has been a major focus of the city and Door County for the last several years after the Door County Economic Development Corporation conducted its study showing a peninsula-wide shortage, especially for affordable units. It has been a hurdle for local manufacturers and other businesses looking to hire people, only to learn that they cannot take the position because they cannot find a house or apartment. Recently, a number of units have opened up near Target, only to have them immediately filled. Mayor David Ward says it only helps their case to developers that if you build it, they will move.

Ward says while the influx of rental units has been great, the city wants to start turning its attention to single-family homes. They took a step in that direction recently, approving a development agreement with Joe and Paul Shefchik of J & P LLC to create a workforce housing subdivision. Under the development agreement with the Shefchiks, approximately 24 homes between $270,000 and $305,000 would be built. The developers are open to restrictions such as the amount the homes could be sold for and limiting the purchasers to be Door County workers. Additional language has also been added to deter homebuyers from quickly flipping the house and making money on the transaction.