The Shoals affordable housing apartment complex in Sister Bay has begun to move in its first tenants this month. April 17 was the first move-in date.
The Shoals is a 45-unit complex consisting of four one-bedroom, 27 two-bedroom, and 14 three-bedroom units. Thirteen units were available by April 17, with 13 more becoming available by the end of April. Marissa Downs of Mosaic Ventures, the developer of The Shoals, said the project is phasing in multiple buildings and all 45 units are still expected to be available by July.
Downs said The Shoals’ original timeline has shifted slightly. The first units were intended to be available by the end of 2022. Although the first units were not available until April, she said, the original plan to have all units available within 12 months is still close to achievable, since construction began in June of 2022.
In response to a Knock social media post seeking comment from tenants or prospective tenants at The Shoals, multiple people responded saying they had had difficulty reaching anyone to apply to live there. In an email to Knock, Downs said staffing issues contributed to the delayed communication with renters.
“Unfortunately our property manager resigned in the middle of this lease-up, which was not ideal,” Downs said. “The management company is searching for a new onsite manager. I think that with the scarcity of housing available in the county, the number of people interested has been significant.”
A 2019 study projected a need of 1,070 affordable housing units in Door County from 2018 to 2023, including 115 beds of seasonal housing. The study also identified an existing shortage of 925 units of affordable housing from 2010 to 2017, including 455 beds of seasonal housing. These estimates were produced before the pandemic.
“We will definitely stay focused on this issue,” Downs said. “Each application does take a fair bit of time as well, so it has just been a matter of there not being enough hours in the day to get to everyone quickly.”