La Crosse’s housing crisis is a multi-front battle involving soaring rents, stagnant inventory, and a lack of available homes. To highlight these challenges and explore potential solutions, Natalie Heneghan, community outreach director at Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region, joined us in studio to preview Housing Week.

From the drivers behind high rent to the struggles of local builders and the city’s pending zoning code updates, Heneghan broke down the upcoming seminar schedule.

Before diving into the policy, we recapped the impact of last weekend’s Neighbor’s Day and then turned our attention to the unique culture at Habitat La Crosse. The organization is powered by a team of 12 — 11 of whom are women.

Then there’s Ralph, the dog. We talked about the dynamic of being a women-led organization and Ralph’s official role on the website: “Director of First Impressions.”

we spoke with Heneghan regarding the Heritage Preservation Commission’s recent vote to grant historic designation to Emerson Elementary School. The seven-member commission voted in favor of the designation, with Heneghan and Mackenzie Mindel casting the only two “no” votes.

The school is slated to close after the next academic year. The school district is currently fighting the historic status, arguing that the designation will restrict future redevelopment options for the site.