Resist the urge to publish the American Dream’s obituary. It’s alive, though unwell.
It’s no secret the hallmarks of the dream have become unreachable for many Americans. Homeownership seems impossible in communities. Marriage rates have dropped. Families have shrunk. Even lifespans are on the decline. The dream’s vital signs are cause for immense concern. There are signs of life — Washington County, Wis., is testing two remedies that might just revive the dream there and across the country.
Just north of Milwaukee, Washington County is — in many ways — a surprising source of hope. As county officials will tell you, they’re struggling to hold on to their community members. Too few homes, too few jobs, and too few community connections led many residents to look for another place to call home.
Washington County is conducting two experiments of national significance. The first is the Next Generation Housing Initiative. Established in 2021, the program aims to remove barriers to increasing the supply of affordable housing: Development costs, expensive down payments, zoning barriers, access to employment, and community support. They expect that addressing these issues head-on will allow them to build 1,000 homes tailored to middle-class families by 2032.
There’s plenty of reason to believe they will ultimately reach their goal. First, they’ve left politics at home. The coalition behind the initiative includes representatives from a range of communities and stakeholder groups. The county has also held several ad hoc working group events with Realtors, lenders, educators, builders, nonprofit and faith leaders, and planners. In short, county officials have committed themselves to making their county one where people not only stay but one that actively draws more people in.
Solving basic needs a priority
Second, they made solving basic needs a priority. The county received and accepted recovery funds in the wake of the pandemic and directed them toward recovery efforts on lost revenue. Come 2032, communities around the country should look to Washington County and emulate the initiative’s success.
Another project will also warrant adoption across the country as an American Dream stimulant. The Heart & Homestead Earned Down Payment Incentive is at once helping people find a place to call home while also helping them build community. The incentive is simple: receive up to $20,000 in down payment incentive when purchasing a home and, over the next five years, “earn” that support through community service.
The county rightfully recognizes that there’s a real financial benefit to a community in which volunteerism is a norm. For every hour of service volunteered at a local nonprofit or religious institution, a homeowner will earn $25 of the incentive. For every dollar donated to participating groups, 70 cents is earned. What’s more, the whole family can help out — contributions from anyone living in the home go toward the incentive earnings.
Washington County is on to something big. The American Dream is suffering because we’ve lost focus on its core components: a quality home, a quality job, and a quality community. Communities that dare to prioritize those basics, however, are proving that the dream is not dead but simply neglected. We can choose to build. We can choose to cultivate strong communities. We can choose to place people over politics.
Kevin Frazier is an Adjunct Professor at Delaware Law. He wrote this for The Fulcrum.
