$12 Million Proposed In State Budget To Upgrade Milwaukee Rental Properties

By Isiah Holmes, Wisconsin Examiner

February 21, 2023

Gov. Tony Evers is proposing using $12.5 million in the 2023-25 budget to upgrade rental housing units across the city of Milwaukee. Evers plans on creating a $5 million Housing Safety Grant Pilot Program in the city, with a goal of establishing a centralized database for renters to search property histories. Another $7.25 million would help start a pilot program for whole-home upgrades in Milwaukee.

“The need for affordable housing is one of the issues I hear most about as I travel across our state,” Evers said in a Feb. 12 statement. “Expanding access to safe, stable and affordable housing is a key part of our work to support kids and families, bolster our state’s workforce and economy, and ensure our communities continue to grow and thrive.”

Augmenting affordable housing in Milwaukee and other parts of Wisconsin is a corner stone of the proposed budget. A $150 million Affordable Workforce Housing Grant program is also proposed, which would invest in developing workforce housing. Another $100 million Municipal Home Rehabilitation Program would help locales renovate and restore dilapidated housing. Millions in legal support for renters experiencing eviction is also in the budget.

“The City of Milwaukee supports proposals that provide more rental resources for residents and more funding for housing revitalization efforts,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a statement Friday. “We thank Governor Evers for recognizing the need in Milwaukee for more quality, affordable housing and we look forward to these proposals moving forward.”

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