Internship Location: Sun Prairie WI
Organization Type: Local Government
Policy Areas: Housing, equitable development, community development, urban planning
This summer I had the opportunity to work within the City of Sun Prairie’s Planning Division as their first Planning Intern. I primarily worked on housing related projects with the Division’s Housing and Equitable Development Planner; a relatively new position created by the City. Sun Prairie, WI is the second largest municipality in Dane County and continues to experience fast paced growth, as well as the rest of the County. The housing shortage crisis is increasingly impacting the entire region, causing Sun Prairie to prioritize housing and equitable development initiatives. As a double degree MPA and M.S. URPL student concentrating in housing, this internship successfully allowed me to apply the concepts and skills gained from the programs thus far. I worked on several different projects this summer, but my main deliverable was to create an Affordable Housing Target Area Map for the City by conducting a spatial analysis with ArcGIS Pro. We used WHEDA criteria outlined in their 2023 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) used to allocate the state’s Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to help incentivize affordable multifamily LIHTC developments in well-connected and resourced locations. I also spent a significant amount of time assisting the City’s efforts on a new housing education and advocacy group, the Sun Prairie Housing Coalition. Created by a group of community partners, the coalition aims to provide the tools, education, and support needed to mobilize a diverse group of community members to work together on local housing related advocacy and to advance housing goals. I am very grateful for the experiences gained and the relationships built throughout this enriching internship.