S.C. Swiderski provides housing relief to New London flood victims

Matthew Day

Staff

June 8, 2026

NEW LONDON – In 1979, the Wolf River, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), attained a record height of 11.83 feet. 

This past April, incessant spring showers saw the Wolf climb to a new all-time high – 12.12 feet, per NWS – as flood waters affected residents and properties within the City of New London. 

As New London continues rebuilding nearly two months later, S.C. Swiderski Area Manager LeighAnna Emunson said the property management company remains committed to relief efforts. 

“We could see the impact the floods had on the community, and we truly just wanted to help in any way we could,” she said. “We talked about it internally – ‘We have so many apartments available, these people are struggling, they can’t even live in their homes. What can we do to help them?’” 

Emunson said the S.C. Swiderski team determined its answer was within its SCS Wolf River apartment complex.

She said the complex – located at 305 West Wolf River Ave. in New London – had just been completed, and was not affected by the flooding afflicting other parts of the area. 

“We opened [SCS Wolf River] officially April 15 and moved in our first round of tenants…,” she said. “We had really just started leasing the property about a month before move-in, so we had plenty of vacancies readily available.” 

With many displaced residents seeking refuge in area hotels, Emunson said the S.C. Swiderski team saw SCS Wolf River as a longer-term option. 

Though the floodwaters have subsided, Emunson said many of the effects of the damage and, perhaps more so, the necessary insurance claim processes continue to affect regional residents. 

“Many of these people, they’re still dealing with insurance companies,” she said. “They don’t know how long they’re going to be out of their homes.” 

Rather than sitting back while residents accrued unsustainable hotel costs, Kari Kussow – director of leasing – said S.C. Swiderski committed to “offering flexible, short-term leasing options, including month-to-month agreements, reduced rental rates and waived security deposits for those displaced by the flood.” 

Emunson said there is no set timeline for the relief initiative – noting that the company is simply glad it can help provide stability during an uncertain time.

“We’re just so grateful we were able to do that,” she said.

Stepping up 

By regularly communicating with chambers of commerce, Emunson said S.C. Swiderski has become involved in virtually everywhere it has properties. 

“We try to be really active in the community when we can be, and participate in local events as well as community service when we have the opportunity,” she said. 

Emunson said she considers S.C. Swiderski to be “a family-oriented company.” 

“We care about people, we care about our tenants and the people who live with us, we care about our prospects and we care about the communities we’re in,” she said. “We’re the type of people who want to help others, and I can say that goes for every single person who works at S.C. Swiderski.” 

Emunson – who lives in Neenah – said whether employees were personally affected by the New London floods or not, all of them “felt like we had to step up” in response to the damage. 

“A lot of people got a lot of water intrusion in their homes – they lost a lot of their personal items,” she said. “And I know even a lot of the businesses in the area were impacted by the floods and were closed for a couple of weeks, because people couldn’t even get access to some of the businesses.” 

So far, Emunson said five units at SCS Wolf River have been rented to those in need of temporary lodging. 

Amid the turmoil, she said it took a little while for word to spread about the displacement relief S.C. Swiderski is offering. 

“I think people were just surprised [by the offer], and they were grateful and appreciative,” she said. “I’m really glad we were able to help them and give them a home while they’re rebuilding theirs.” 

As affected citizens continue to work through the aftermath, Emunson said she hopes the offer will continue to reach others it might benefit. 

She said the application process is quick, but, due to fair housing laws, certain criteria must still be met: monthly income of three times the cost of rent; a credit score of 600 or higher; and passing a background check. 

Emunson said screened, approved applicants are able to move in “as soon as possible.” 

“Our apartments are ready for immediate move-in,” she said. “We’ve been able to get some of these people moved in within 24 hours.” 

As word continues to spread about S.C. Swiderski’s relief options, Emunson said she encourages displaced citizens to contact the company. 

“We’re really excited to help out if we can,” she said. “If anybody you know does need assistance, just have them reach out to us.” 

Moving on from the flood is the urgent matter at hand, but Emunson said despite it having been a “once-in-a-50-year type of thing,” the S.C. Swiderski team has learned from the experience and is all the more ready to contribute should one of its communities suffer a comparable crisis. 

“Now that we’ve been through this, I think we’d have a quick reaction if something like this were to happen again…,” she said. “If we can help with something like this, we definitely will.” 

S.C. Swiderski 

According to its website – scswiderski.com – S.C. Swiderski was founded in 1992, with its first rental property investment being a two-unit building in a Mosinee neighborhood. 

Emunson said S.C. Swiderski is more than a traditional property management company, though, as it designs, owns and builds properties. 

“We actually have our own construction, design, marketing, leasing [and] maintenance [departments],” she said. “We do it all, from start to finish.” 

Though the company’s corporate office is in Mosinee, Emunson said its footprint has extended across the state.

She said S.C. Swiderski’s in-house market research team determines where to establish properties. 

“They will touch base with the local communities that are looking for housing expansion, and they will do research in those areas to see if these products are really sustainable…,” she said. “There are years of research and different communications with those cities that take place before a property even gets into the development phase.” 

Emunson said SCS Wolf River is one of the company’s latest developments to come to fruition. 

“New London has needed more housing for a long time, so [our team] has worked really closely with the City of New London and the chamber of commerce to really plan this project over the last five to seven years,” she said. “It’s been in the making for a long time, and the community has been really excited to see the property go up from start to finish. We’re happy it’s finally ready, and that we’re able to provide homes for people in the area.” 

For more information on S.C. Swiderski, its available units and monthly rates, visit the aforementioned website.