Working with Developers

Rural Housing Toolkit Modules

Successful partnerships with housing developers begin with early and proactive communication. Communities can build trust and shape proposals by hosting town halls, sharing local data, and offering clear input on design and priorities. Developers place a high value on efficiency. Coordinating utilities early, allowing flexible lot sizes, and maintaining a current comprehensive housing plan with tools like Tax Incremental Districts (TIDs) can accelerate timelines and improve project viability. To attract investment, municipalities should make the process as straightforward as possible by streamlining permitting, offering zoning flexibility, and providing incentives such as tax breaks or infrastructure support.

When communities are clear, collaborative, and creative, developers are more likely to view them as strong partners and invest in projects that deliver lasting benefits for residents.

A before and after image of a site.

Insider intelligence developers can’t Google

Give developers the kind of local insight they won’t find in a web search. This kind of local intelligence builds trust, reduces surprises, and helps developers tailor their proposals for smoother approvals.

This includes:

  • Political landscape and key players: Share perspectives on local board members, planning commissioners, and decision-makers. Explain how they typically approach issues like variances, density, or infrastructure. Help developers understand who tends to support innovation and who may resist change.
  • Navigating local dynamics: Offer guidance on engaging with community stakeholders, including informal influencers, neighborhood groups, or vocal residents. Understanding personalities and relationships can be just as important as understanding policy.
  • Anticipating roadblocks: Flag common friction points in the permitting or approval process. Identify recurring concerns such as traffic, water, or aesthetics. Note any procedural bottlenecks or political sensitivities that could stall a project.
  • Strategic work-arounds: Suggest alternative approaches that have worked in the past. These might include adjusting project phasing, modifying design elements, or building early support through community engagement.

Resources

Developer tours webinar

Hosted by the Office of Rural Prosperity, the June 2025 webinar From Tour to Transformation explores how rural communities can attract housing developers through strategic site visits. Developer tours showcase available properties, local assets, and community readiness, helping build trust and spark investment. Michelle Lawrie of Door County Economic Development shares success stories, while Office of Rural Prosperity staff introduce tools to help communities plan impactful tours including the Developer Tour Toolkit (linked below). The session emphasizes storytelling, data, and preparation as key ingredients for turning interest into action. Watch the webinar here .

The Developer Tour Toolkit from the Office of Rural Prosperity equips communities with actionable resources to attract and engage housing developers. It helps local leaders think strategically about showcasing their community’s strengths and preparing for meaningful developer interactions. Specifically, the toolkit:
  • Offers practical tips and templates for organizing developer tours that highlight local assets and opportunities
  • Guides communities in crafting compelling narratives that build trust and spark developer interest
  • Provides customizable materials to streamline planning and execution of site visits
  • Encourages collaboration across stakeholders to present a unified vision and reduce barriers to investment

The Office of Rural Prosperity’s Community Readiness Assessment Tool helps rural communities evaluate their capacity to support housing development by guiding local leaders through critical areas such as zoning, infrastructure, public engagement, and housing needs. This tool enables communities to:

  • Identify strengths and gaps in their development readiness
  • Align local priorities with developer expectations and requirements
  • Create a clear roadmap for addressing barriers to housing investment
  • Build confidence and credibility when engaging with potential development partners

A pro forma is a financial projection used to estimate the future performance of a project. The term comes from Latin, meaning “for the sake of form.” In housing development, a pro forma serves as a detailed snapshot of anticipated costs, revenues, and funding sources. By modeling these figures before construction begins, it helps developers, funders, and communities assess whether a project is financially feasible and worth pursuing. This tool enables communities to:

  • Understand the economics behind housing development, including unit mix, operating budgets, and capital stacks
  • Communicate more effectively with developers by speaking their financial language
  • Evaluate different development scenarios and identify funding gaps or opportunities
  • Build realistic expectations about project timelines, costs, and returns

Pro forma templates:
The pro forma templates below provide customizable financial models for rural housing development. They include input fields for project costs, funding sources, and cash flow projections to support feasibility analysis and strategic planning.

An RFQ (Request for Qualifications) is a tool used to identify experienced and capable developers or firms. It focuses on credentials, past projects, and team expertise, helping communities:

  • Shortlist partners who are qualified to deliver housing solutions
  • Establish a transparent and competitive selection process
  • Align developer capabilities with community goals and project requirements
  • Build confidence among stakeholders by vetting potential partners before committing to a project

RFQ templates:

An RFP (Request for Proposals) goes a step beyond an RFQ by inviting developers to submit detailed project plans. These proposals typically include design concepts, financial models, development timelines, and community engagement strategies. RFPs are issued when a community is ready to evaluate full proposals for a specific site or housing goal. This tool helps communities:

  • Solicit comprehensive development plans tailored to local needs and priorities
  • Compare proposals based on feasibility, design quality, financial strength, and community alignment
  • Encourage innovation and collaboration by outlining clear expectations and evaluation criteria
  • Advance from vision to implementation by selecting a partner ready to deliver

Example: RFP template

Spotlight

Emerging Rural Developer Program

Someone pointing to a diagram of lots with a pencil.

In 2026, the Office of Rural Prosperity will launch the inaugural Emerging Rural Developer Program, a bold new initiative to cultivate the next generation of rural affordable housing leaders. Funded through a grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, this pilot program will place three fellows with host organizations located in some of Wisconsin’s most rural communities. Each fellow will participate in key aspects of the development process, including site selection and preparation, community engagement, project management, zoning, and financial planning. Each fellow will gain hands-on experience in affordable housing development while embedded with a host organization:

  • NeighborWorks Green Bay: The fellow will focus on affordable housing development in rural Door County.
  • Bayfield County: The fellow will support senior housing initiatives and land trust development.
  • Southwest Wisconsin: The fellow will work across two or three counties on modular housing strategies, a tiny home community, and other innovative affordable housing projects.

Fellows will work alongside seasoned developers and gain practical experience across a range of project types, including adaptive reuse and new construction on previously undeveloped land. In rural communities, these greenfield projects offer the opportunity to transform underutilized parcels into vibrant, livable neighborhoods. Fellows may also contribute to infill housing initiatives, which breathe new life into vacant lots, expand housing options, and reinforce the social and economic fabric of the community.

Fellows will benefit from:

  • In-person experience in rural affordable housing development
  • Mentorship and supervision from experienced professionals
  • Exposure to meaningful, mission-driven work
  • A learning culture that emphasizes continuous improvement

The Emerging Rural Developer Program is a key step in building capacity for rural housing development across Wisconsin.

Financing: Unlocking Resources for Rural Housing

Broadband overview

Community-Based Ownership Models