Shorewood Shuns Renters with Cars and Those with Disabilities

Our 2nd press release to 30+ local media contacts.

𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩-𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘰𝘧 542 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴.

February 24, 2026 – Shorewood, Wisconsin – The Village of Shorewood is planning to sell a public parking lot in the high-density North Oakland neighborhood. If the sale proceeds, this multi-block area will have 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.

A majority of village trustees are prioritizing the addition of 19 subsidized housing units over the needs of current residents - - many of whom rent and 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. However, the situation on North Oakland Avenue is more complex than it may appear.

In 1981, Shorewood recognized that North Oakland had a serious parking shortage and created the 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗮𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 (from Lake Bluff Boulevard to East Kensington Boulevard). The Village spent $226,201 to acquire land and construct a 49-space public parking lot. 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗯𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁, based on proximity to the lot and the number of parking spaces their properties required.

At the time, a 1981 report documented 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟯𝟮𝟬 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁. Since then, the situation has worsened: there are 15% fewer off-street parking spaces and 25% more housing units. The Parking District includes 284 rental units along Oakland Avenue between Lake Bluff and East Kensington Boulevards.

“Effectively, village government is telling renters: if you drive a car to work, we don’t want you living here. And if you have mobility issues or are elderly, you can join every other renter in searching for a spot blocks from your home,” said Jay Sorensen, volunteer and advocate with Affordable Shorewood. “I understand the need for subsidized housing, but in an area with a severe parking shortage, the needs of residents with disabilities and older adults must take priority.”

Renters with disabilities and older residents make up a significant portion of the 542 people living in the Parking District. Based on standard occupancy estimates, 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝟱𝟰𝟮 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁’𝘀 𝟮𝟴𝟰 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘀. According to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, an estimated 𝟱𝟯 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. North Shore Health Department statistics suggest approximately 𝟳𝟲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟲𝟱 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿.

“Not every destination is accessible by Milwaukee County Transit,” Sorensen said. “Renters should not be treated as though car ownership makes them less worthy of living here. There is a disconnect when village trustees . . . who all own cars and have garages or reserved parking . . . discount the impact this will have on residents without those options. The lack of empathy for residents with disabilities and older adults is what I find most troubling.”

Data notes:
• 284 apartment units multiplied by an average rental household size of 1.91 persons.
• 9.8% of persons have difficulty walking, age 15+, 2008, Wisconsin DHS.
• 14% of Shorewood residents are age 65 or older, 2015, North Shore Health Dept.