2020-2024 FIVE YEAR
CONSOLIDATED PLAN & STRATEGY

To be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development by the:

Community Development Grants Administration
Steven L. Mahan, Director
City Hall – 600 East Wells Street, Room 606
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

Executive Summary

ES-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b)

The Process

PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies 24 CFR 91.200(b)

PR-10 Consultation - 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l)

PR-15 Citizen Participation

Needs Assessment

NA-05 Overview

NA-10 Housing Needs Assessment - 24 CFR 91.205 (a,b,c)

NA-15 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2)

NA-20 Disproportionately Greater Need: Severe Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2)

NA-25 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens – 91.205 (b)(2)

NA-30 Disproportionately Greater Need: Discussion – 91.205(b)(2)

NA-35 Public Housing – 91.205(b)

NA-40 Homeless Needs Assessment – 91.205(c)

NA-45 Non-Homeless Special Needs Assessment - 91.205 (b,d)

NA-50 Non-Housing Community Development Needs – 91.215 (f)

Market Analysis

MA-05 Overview

MA-10 Number of Housing Units – 91.210(a)&(b)(2)

MA-15 Housing Market Analysis: Cost of Housing - 91.210(a)

MA-20 Housing Market Analysis: Condition of Housing – 91.210(a)

MA-25 Public and Assisted Housing – 91.210(b)

MA-30 Homeless Facilities and Services – 91.210(c)

MA-35 Special Needs Facilities and Services – 91.210(d)

MA-40 Barriers to Affordable Housing – 91.210(e)

MA-45 Non-Housing Community Development Assets – 91.215 (f)

MA-50 Needs and Market Analysis Discussion

MA-60 Broadband Needs of Housing Occupied by Low- and Moderate-Income Households - 91.210(a)(4), 91.310(a)(2)

MA-65 Hazard Mitigation - 91.210(a)(5), 91.310(a)(3)

Strategic Plan

SP-05 Overview

SP-10 Geographic Priorities – 91.215 (a)(1)

SP-25 Priority Needs - 91.215(a)(2)

SP-30 Influence of Market Conditions – 91.215 (b)

SP-35 Anticipated Resources - 91.215(a)(4), 91.220(c)(1,2)

SP-40 Institutional Delivery Structure – 91.215(k)

SP-45 Goals Summary – 91.215(a)(4)

SP-50 Public Housing Accessibility and Involvement – 91.215(c)

SP-55 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.215(h)

SP-60 Homelessness Strategy – 91.215(d)

SP-65 Lead-based paint Hazards – 91.215(i)

SP-70 Anti-Poverty Strategy – 91.215(j)

SP-80 Monitoring – 91.230

Appendix

Bibliography

Community Engagement Summary

Comments on the Public Draft

Additional Data Analysis

Executive Summary

ES-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b)

Introduction                

The Community Development Block Grant program was established by Congress in 1974 with the passage of the Housing and Community Development Act. This program provides funds to municipalities and other units of government around the country to develop viable urban communities. This is accomplished by providing affordable, decent housing, a suitable living environment and by expanding economic opportunities principally for low and moderate income persons.  Over a 12-month period, the 2020-2024 City of Milwaukee HUD Consolidated Plan process utilized a comprehensive set of community outreach and input activities, analysis of housing and economic data, and review of other community plans to identify and summarize the community needs and strategic opportunities.

Local units of government develop their own programs and funding priorities, however all activities must be consistent with one or more of the following HUD national objectives:        

• Principally benefits low/moderate income persons
• Prevents or eliminates slum or blight
• Addresses an urgent need or problem in the community (e.g., natural disaster)                        

As a Participating Jurisdiction (PJ) and entitlement community, the City of Milwaukee-Community Development Grants Administration (CDGA), receives annual funding allocations from the Federal government to fund activities to address these National Objectives. As a recipient of these funds, every five years the City of Milwaukee is required to submit to HUD a Consolidated Plan and Strategy that defines the direction the City will take in utilizing these Federal funds to address the national objectives in a manner that will produce the greatest measurable impact on our community.  

The statutes for the Federal formula grant programs set forth three basic goals against which the plan and the City’s performance under the plan will be evaluated by HUD. The City must state how it will pursue these goals for all community development programs. The HUD statutory program goals are:        

1. DECENT HOUSING - which includes:

• Assisting homeless persons obtain affordable housing;
• Assisting persons at risk of becoming homeless;
• Retaining the affordable housing stock;
• Increasing the availability of affordable permanent housing in standard condition to low-income and moderate-income families, particularly to members of disadvantaged communities without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability;
• Increasing the supply of supportive housing which includes structural features and services to enable persons with special needs (including persons with HIV/AIDS) to live in dignity and independence; and
• Providing affordable housing that is accessible to job opportunities.
  

2. A SUITABLE LIVING ENVIRONMENT - which includes:

• Improving the safety and livability of neighborhoods;
• Eliminating blighting influences and the deterioration of property and facilities;
• Increasing access to quality public and private facilities and services;
• Reducing the isolation of income groups within areas through spatial deconcentration of housing opportunities for lower income persons and the revitalization of deteriorating neighborhoods; and
• Restoring and preserving properties of special historic, architectural, or aesthetic value; and conserving energy resources and use of renewable energy sources.
  

3. EXPANDED ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES- which includes:

• Job creation and retention;
• Establishment, stabilization and expansion of small businesses (including micro-businesses);
• The provision of public services concerned with employment;
• The provision of jobs to low-income persons living in areas affected by those programs and activities, or jobs resulting from carrying out activities under programs covered by the plan;
• Availability of mortgage financing for low-income persons at reasonable rates using non-discriminatory lending practices;
• Access to capital and credit for development activities that promote the long-term economic
  and social viability of the community; and
• Empowerment and self-sufficiency for low-income persons to reduce generational poverty in federally assisted housing and public housing.

The long-term outcomes linked to these goals are:

1. Availability/Accessibility – Programs/activities that make services, housing, infrastructure, public services, or shelter accessible or available to low or moderate income persons, including those with special needs and/or disabilities.
2. Affordability – Programs/activities that provide affordability to low or moderate income persons; can include affordable housing development/preservation.
3. Sustainability – Programs/activities that improve communities and promote viability such as removing slum and blight or other services that sustain communities.

For the most part, this Consolidated Plan is focused on how to best spend Federal HUD dollars. There is some discussion on the need for quality schools, government expenditures for human services, or on the impact of personal life decisions - all of which impact economic stability. While those are all key issues, they are not within the scope of this Consolidated Plan for the City of Milwaukee’s use of Federal funds. While the Consolidated Plan does not directly address these issues as strictly defined, many of the programs funded by the Community Development Grants Administration, (CDGA) have an impact on these concerns and more importantly, bring value to Milwaukee’s diverse neighborhoods. The City of Milwaukee and CDGA will continue to strive to address the needs of Milwaukee’s residents, while promoting programs and activities that will provide the greatest benefit for our community.

Resources                        

Many activities identified in the Consolidated Plan are under the direct control and supported by the following Federal entitlement funds which are administered by the Community Development Grants Administration: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships, Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). Other Federal and State funds (such as federal relief programs) will also be used for proposed activities.                

Leveraging Funds                                

CDGA is committed to leveraging funding resources from other types of public and private sources for community development projects funded through CDGA. The projects receiving Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds will utilize CDBG funds and agency private funds and donations to match the use of the ESG funds. Also, in addition to CDBG funds, other State funds and non-governmental funds will be used in conjunction with shelter related activities.                        

The housing rehabilitation projects will leverage funds from the private sector mostly in the form of funds borrowed from lenders providing construction financing and permanent financing. Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) directly provide a needed subsidy in low-income rental projects by selling the credits to investors. Matching funding for the HOME program will include Housing Trust Fund projects and other housing activities undertaken by the City of Milwaukee. HOME funds are also sometimes combined with CDBG funds and/or private funds.                                

Economic development funds will complement projects from the Department of Justice, Safe Havens, which directly impact community security and safety issues.

The priorities and accomplishment goals outlined in this document are based on assumptions about future funding levels for the Consolidated Plan programs. In all cases, the City of Milwaukee has presumed the level of funding of each program based on previous annual funding levels. Because these programs are subject to potential changes due to national funding decisions, the projections and planned activities are subject to change based on the availability of funding. The strategies and recommendations outlined in the document attempt to balance the needs and priorities of our community and as identified in the data analysis, with the availability of funds.

Impact of the COVID-19 Public Health Pandemic

At the time of this writing, Milwaukee County has reported over 85,000 cases and nearly 860 deaths as a result of coronavirus. With the economic impact of COVID-19 becoming more and more apparent, we anticipate that more households are at risk of becoming housing insecure due to a significant loss of income and decreasing resources for temporary rent assistance. Additionally, we anticipate that public services will be stretched, even as the City’s response must increase, particularly within the central City of Milwaukee where COVID-19 has taken a tremendous toll on our African-American and Hispanic residents.

Summary of the Objectives and Outcomes Identified in the Plan

As America’s demography is changing, so too is the City of Milwaukee. While the City’s total population has been relatively stable since 2000, the dynamics of who lives in the City has changed. The percentage of the City’s population that identifies as non-White has grown, driven primarily by significant growth in the Latino/Hispanic population. Milwaukee’s continued standing as one of the most segregated cities and metro areas in the country and the legacy of past “redlining” practices continues to manifest in deep racial and economic inequalities in the region, including a persistent and startling racial wealth gap. Working to reverse the impact of these historical disparities requires a consistent focus on both programs and policies that directly address them.

One of the driving market conditions in the City of Milwaukee is that median household income in the City has fallen over the last two decades. In real dollars, Milwaukee households earn $6,000/year less than they did in 2000, and the economic impacts of COVID-19 on low-income residents in particular cannot be overstated. Reducing racial disparities in terms of median household income, housing cost burden, and homeownership rates are a major focus for much of the economic and community development work currently underway in the City.

In recent years the City of Milwaukee and community stakeholders have undertaken significant interest in, and efforts to address affordable housing issues. The City completed reports and plans such as the  2019 Housing Affordability Report, 2018 Anti-Displacement Plan, Strong Neighborhoods Plan, Comprehensive Plan, and Mayor Tom Barrett’s 10,000 Homes Initiative. These efforts have been complemented by outside research such as the 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (a regional report), VISION 2050 (Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission - regional transportation and land use plan), and policy analysis carried out by the Wisconsin Policy Forum and Community Advocates Public Policy Institute. [A list of these resources can be found in the Appendix.]

Anti-Poverty

The City’s Anti-Poverty Strategy falls within four areas: Economic opportunity, Transportation, Housing, and Quality of life. This holistic approach recognizes that poverty is systemic, and solutions should cut across sectors and issue areas. The strategy has a specific focus on increasing access to, and creating, opportunities for residents to earn a livable, family-supporting wage. This includes support of programs and initiatives that assist in removing barriers to employment for low income households and that help stabilize their housing (i.e. walk-to-work programs; wrap around social, educational, employment and life skills services). City departments have utilized a variety of tools to work cooperatively with the nonprofit sector and the business community to leverage employment and economic activity in targeted areas to spark creative approaches that focus on jobs.

Other activities that support Neighborhood Revitalization and Quality of Life include small businesses assistance; access to civil legal services and financial education; programs that provide support to seniors and people with disabilities; expansion of public transit and other transportation options; protections for tenants and efforts to prevent eviction; youth engagement and services; resident leadership and community organizing programs; violence prevention initiatives; neighborhood cleanups; access to community-based health services; and maintenance/improvement of public spaces.

CDGA will continue planned aggressive blight elimination efforts, support active citizen participation in monitoring problem properties, integrating crime prevention into a variety of city services and capital improvements, and organizing efforts to improve quality of life issues that encourage the economic integration and revitalization of neighborhoods.

Economic and Community Development

The City’s Economic and Community Development Strategy complements its Anti-Poverty strategy by emphasizing how interconnected employment, access to economic opportunity, and affordable housing are to each other. In terms of resources and implementation, Milwaukee will continue its commitment to cluster-based and large impact developments, along with leveraging strategic partnerships across city departments, with funders, and with community-based organizations. There is consensus that public and private sector funding should be focused on tangible outcomes leading to neighborhood revitalization and the creation of jobs, income and wealth. This model of comprehensive planning is embraced by the residents in target areas as the emphasis is focused on housing improvement, job creation and income enhancement.

Housing

The city devotes significant resources to expand the creation of affordable housing through the provision of city financial resources, staff expertise, city land, and policy actions. The Housing Strategy will leverage the infrastructure of the City’s Strong Neighborhoods program, Housing Trust Fund, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), and public-private partnerships to expand the availability of affordable rental housing, increase homeownership opportunities, eliminate blight, rehabilitate units for owner-occupancy, provide home maintenance and repair assistance, prevent eviction and improve housing stability.

Other priorities include expanding efforts to assist public housing and Section 8 residents move to private market unsubsidized housing, provide better training, advocacy and mediation services for landlords and tenants, and increase the number of rent-assisted housing units and their geographic distribution throughout the metropolitan area and Milwaukee County. Strategies to address these issues include placing households in either Section 8 or public housing units as turnover occurs and to substantially rehabilitate rental units through the Rent Rehabilitation program.

The social determinants of health have become an increased focus of health care systems and providers, noting how housing conditions affect the well-being of their patients and communities. Identifying and pursuing strategies that link housing and health could bring new resources in efforts to improve access to safe, affordable housing in Milwaukee.

The City’s Public Housing Improvement Strategy, which aligns with the Consolidated Plan, includes the following activities: provide opportunities for resident participation through economic development and homeownership programs; and connect residents to supportive services offered through drug elimination grants and economic development and supportive services (ED/SS) grants at all its public housing developments. Residents are also directly involved in the evaluation of program outcomes and in the determination of the level of satisfaction with facilities and services offered by the Housing Authority. Other initiatives include the Housing Authority’s commitment to expand their efforts to assist public housing and Section 8 residents to move to private market unsubsidized housing and the portability of residents who wish to relocate to other communities outside the City.

These strategies also link job creation to the City’s housing development efforts, expand access to new resources for neighborhood development, and support coordinated housing and neighborhood efforts with other human service and economic development initiatives.

Homelessness and Special Needs Populations

The City of Milwaukee will continue its active support of, and partnership with, Milwaukee’s Continuum of Care (CoC) to implement the following strategies: Prevent homelessness and increase outreach; Assess and adapt emergency shelter and transitional housing to meet shifting needs; Secure safe shelter sooner (via Rapid Re-Housing); Transition to permanent housing; Shorten the duration of homelessness; and Strengthen connections with service providers that work with special needs populations.

Much like the supportive service needs of persons experiencing homelessness, access to safe, affordable housing, and services such as employment and job training, legal services, healthy food, mental and physical health care in particular would benefit the special needs populations identified in the Needs Assessment. These groups include: Individuals Living with HIV/AIDS, Seniors/Elderly, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Formerly Incarcerated, and Immigrants/Refugees.

To reduce homelessness and meet the needs of special needs populations, housing and service providers are seeking new ways to work across systems and engage those resources to address gaps, particularly in accessing employment and income supports, and behavioral health services. Additionally, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the CoC and system of homeless service providers has been significant. Limitations on shelter capacity, increases in street homelessness, and shifts in how services are delivered have been challenging but have also led to innovative approaches to providing safe shelter and connecting people to housing navigation and supportive services. A lot has been learned within Milwaukee’s CoC and the homeless system that can be applied to the strategies outlined in the Consolidated Plan.

Addressing Lead-Based Hazards

The impact of lead-based paint hazards are a continued focus and concern for the City especially given the age of Milwaukee’s housing stock. Strategies include: Regular evaluation of lead abatement methods, continuation of a program of grants/loans to assist homeowners and landlords in removing lead hazards, continuing collaborative efforts with other housing programs to identify lead abatement and lead hazard reduction into total housing rehabilitation, expanding education and training for homeowners, landlords and tenants regarding lead poisoning prevention and securing city, state and federal funding to finance lead hazard reduction activities.

Fair Housing and Fair Lending Practices

The City of Milwaukee will continue to support the enforcement and education of fair housing ordinances with community partners and the City’s Equal Rights Commission that help remove barriers to affordable housing. Additionally, the City works with local partners to complete an annual review of lending practices and patterns by area financial institutions, and promote best practices in terms of reaching underserved communities. The city also engages a number of community-based organizations to affirmatively work toward integrated housing patterns and respond to affordable housing issues such as predatory lending, eviction, foreclosure, and related consumer issues.

Evaluation of Past Performance

As required by HUD, a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) is submitted to HUD following the end of each program year which ends on December 31st. The CAPER provides an account of activities, accomplishments, and expenditures that occurred during the previous program year, and progress towards the 5-year Strategic Plan. It includes reporting on the HUD Objectives and Outcomes, performance indicators, and unit benchmarks and production.

The most recent City of Milwaukee CAPER (FY 2019) reported the following outcomes for the 2014-2019 Strategic Plan. The data below covers five (5) years of activity 15,412 housing units rehabilitated (owner and rental)

• 3,061 households assisted with tenant-based rent assistance and rapid re-housing funds/services
• 3,938 persons assisted with homeless prevention services
• 32,739 persons provided with emergency shelter/services
• 20 brownfield sites remediated
• 236 jobs created/retained
• 49,698 residents received public services in the City’s Neighborhood Strategic Planning (NSP) areas
• 3,089,125 residents overall were engaged in community improvement efforts

Overall, the City exceeded strategic target goals in the rehabilitation of housing units, remediation of brownfields, and residents receiving public services. Goals related to homeownership, homeless prevention, addressing housing code violations, fair housing outreach, and job creation/retention were close to strategic targets (between 68-95%).

Highlights from the 2014-2019 5 Year Plan include:

• Continued focus on affordable housing preservation and production (both owner and rental).
• Full implementation of the Coordinated Entry system to assist people at risk for, or experiencing homelessness.
• Increase in permanent supportive housing,  homeless prevention, street outreach services, and rapid re-housing activities  to improve housing stability.
• Provided supportive housing services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the 4-county area; education, outreach, and referrals  to individuals and families in the Milwaukee MSA.
• Participation in the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, resulting in a significant investment that transformed the Westlawn public housing development.
• Support of fair housing enforcement and outreach, inclusionary housing policies, and eviction prevention activities.
• Development of a city Anti-Displacement plan and partnership with cross-sector groups to create an Anti-Displacement Fund, guidelines for the use of Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) funds to support affordable housing goals, and developing a Strategic Acquisition fund.
• Supported the “Move to Opportunity” program and other rent assistance/affordable housing efforts.
• Made significant improvements in the Milwaukee Health Departments lead abatement programs to increase intervention and outreach services.
• Work collaboratively with other public, nonprofit and private sector groups to advance anti-poverty programs and services such as workforce-based training, education and mentoring; skilled trades and high-tech training; transitional jobs for ex-offenders; small business technical assistance; access to homeownership; youth services; violence prevention; and community safety.
• Completion of a strategic plan for the Equal Rights Commission to strengthen its representation, activities, and partnerships in the community, particularly around accessibility and racial equity and inclusion.

These activities were leveraged with funds from HUD Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), HOME funds, HOPWA funds, State funds, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, US. Department of Justice, and private philanthropy.

The 2019 City of Milwaukee CAPER can be viewed HERE in detail.

Also, the City and its partners have undertaken significant efforts to plan for and track efforts to establish and maintain safe, affordable housing in recent years. The city’s Comprehensive Plan, Housing Affordability Report, Anti-Displacement Plan, Strong Neighborhoods Plan, Mayor Tom Barrett’s 10,000 Homes Initiative, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, and policy analysis carried out by the Wisconsin Policy Forum Community Advocates have added new ways to track this activity.

For example, in February 2020 the City of Milwaukee 10,000 Homes Initiative reported that from 2018-2019: 582 new housing units were created; 1,016 existing housing units were preserved or improved; 494 individuals were assisted in home buying; and 2,092 housing units were impacted by City resources.

The objectives, outcomes and goals for the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan are based on past activity as described in the CAPER, as well as new opportunities that are emerging to address the need for safe, affordable housing in the City of Milwaukee as described throughout the Market Analysis and Strategic Plan sections.

Summary of the Citizen Participation Process and Consultation Process

Lead Agency

The agency responsible for oversight and monitoring of these Federal funds and ensuring that these activities are implemented is the Community Development Grants Administration (CDGA). The oversight body for CDGA is the City of Milwaukee Community and Economic Development Committee (CED) of the Milwaukee Common Council. All actions taken by the Committee are ratified by the Milwaukee Common Council and the Mayor. Additional information on the funding and allocation process is described in section PR-05 (Lead and Responsible Agencies).

In accordance with the regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and in an effort to ensure adequate and accessible citizen participation, the City of Milwaukee adopted a Citizen Participation Plan in 1991. The plan outlines the procedures and processes used by the City to solicit citizen input and has since been updated and revised; the document was subsequently submitted and approved by HUD.

Relative to the allocation of funds, the City of Milwaukee places the highest priority on those programs which directly serve low and moderate income persons, defined as those with incomes of 80% or less of Milwaukee’s Area Median Income (AMI). Priority is also given to those projects which serve residents of the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas (NRSAs), of which at least 70% of all residents are considered low income.

2020-2024 Consolidated Plan Process

In 2019 CDGA contracted with the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin (UEDA), a local nonprofit organization that specializes in technical assistance, to help develop the Consolidated Plan. In partnership with the City, UEDA formed a robust team of community leaders representative of the community and economic development sector that became known as the Consolidated Plan Task Force.

The Task Force met a number of times over the 18 month planning process, providing feedback on the community survey, focus groups, ConPlanMKE website, and various drafts of the plan. Task Force members also distributed the survey and invitations to participate with their networks, focusing particularly on residents and youth. With the plan now in the public comment period, the Task Force is a vital part of ensuring that citizens and interested parties have the opportunity to provide feedback and are involved in the final production of the plan.

UEDA’s project team also consulted a number of data sources in the drafting and preparation of the Consolidated Plan, including other City departments (City Development, Health, Neighborhood Services); the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), Milwaukee Continuum of Care, and local data consultants Data You Can Use. A review of recent research, plans and policy analysis was also conducted by UEDA, which is detailed in the Appendix.

Community input included the use of a community survey (both paper/in-person and electronic), focus groups, community meetings in key Neighborhood Strategic Planning (NSP) areas, and outreach/engagement at a number of neighborhood events in 2019. Priorities and goals as described in the Needs Assessment, Market Analysis, and Strategic Plan sections were all formulated from broad-based participation of residents, various stakeholders, community-based service providers, faith-based institutions, businesses, schools, and neighborhood groups. Additional detail on this process is described in sections PR-10 (Consultation) and PR-15 (Citizen Participation).

The Consolidated Plan will be posted for public comment at the City of Milwaukee website and project website,  ConPlanMKE.org. Because in-person / public meetings are not possible at this time due to the high rate of COVID-19 infections, notification will be distributed largely through electronic tools (e-mail via UEDA and E-Notify, the Task Force, social media). Additionally, UEDA will host an informational webinar in early January 2021 that is open to the public; it will be recorded and posted for future viewing.

Summary of public comments

The 2020-2024 City of Milwaukee HUD Consolidated Plan was posted for public comment from January 8, 2021 through February 9, 2021. All public comments received will be compiled and included in the Appendix when the final draft is complete.

Summary of comments or views not accepted and the reasons for not accepting them

All comments on the Consolidated Plan will be accepted and considered in the Plan.

Summary

The Community Development Grants Administration (CDGA) has defined a 5-year Housing and Community Development Strategy for 2020-2024 that focuses on supporting vibrant neighborhoods, ensuring decent housing, and providing economic opportunity for all community residents. This community vision recognizes that housing is a critical part of a viable neighborhood system, which also includes public safety, education, employment opportunities, business development and social service providers. Funding allocations follow a comprehensive approach aligned with the strategies as described in this Consolidated Plan.

The Process

PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies 24 CFR 91.200(b)

Describe agency/entity responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those responsible for the administration of each grant program and funding source

The following are the agencies/entities responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those responsible for the administration of each grant program and funding source.

Table 1 – Responsible Agencies

Narrative

The agency responsible for oversight and monitoring of these Federal funds and ensuring that these activities are implemented is the Community Development Grants Administration (CDGA). The oversight body for CDGA is the City of Milwaukee Community and Economic Development Committee (CED) of the Milwaukee Common Council. All actions taken by the Committee are ratified by the Milwaukee Common Council and the Mayor.

CDGA annually solicits and evaluates applications from all interested parties through an open and competitive Request For Proposal (RFP) process. The funding categories for the RFP process receive input from the community at large and are finalized by the CED Committee and Mayor. Recommendations for annual funding are made to the CED Committee for approval with final ratification by the Milwaukee Common Council and Mayor.

Relative to the allocation of funds, the City of Milwaukee places the highest priority on those programs which directly serve low and moderate income persons, defined as those with incomes of 80% or less of Milwaukee’s Area Median Income (AMI). Priority is also given to those projects which serve residents of the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas (NRSAs), of which at least 70% of all residents are considered low income.

City’s Notification Requirement Regarding Draft Plan Availability

The Consolidated Plan will be posted for public comment at the City of Milwaukee website (www.city.milwaukee.gov/CDGA) and project website (ConPlanMKE.org). The notification will describe the contents and purpose of the plan, and will state that copies of the plan will be available for review on the City’s website, the City’s Legislative Bureau and the offices of CDGA.

Physical copies will also be available upon request. The City will make the Plan(s) public, and upon request in a format accessible to persons with disabilities. The City will provide citizens a reasonable opportunity to comment on the Plan, and on any amendments to the Plan as defined by the Citizen Participation Plan. The City will consider any comments or views of citizens received in writing (mail /e-mail) during the 30-day public review and will address those comments in the Plan. In preparation of the final Consolidated Plan, or Annual Action Plan, the City will include any written or oral comments on the plans in the final submission to HUD.

Because in-person / public meetings are not possible at this time due to the high rate of COVID-19 infections, notification will be distributed largely through electronic tools (e-mail via UEDA and E-Notify, the Task Force, social media). The public can provide feedback to a specific email address (comment@conplanmke.org), in writing or by phone (see below for contact information). Additionally, UEDA will host an informational webinar in early January 2021 that is open to the public; it will be recorded and posted for future viewing at the project website (ConPlanMKE.org).

Criteria for Substantial Amendments to the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan

The City of Milwaukee shall prepare a substantial amendment to its Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan(s) plan using the following criteria:

1. Whenever eligible activity categories proposed for funding are not listed in the City’s current Consolidated Plan or Annual Action Plan;
2. Whenever there is a change in the purpose, scope, location or beneficiaries of an activity.

If there are amendments to the Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan(s), the City of Milwaukee will solicit citizen participation, including public hearings, in conformance with its Citizen Participation Plan.

Performance Reports

Further citizen involvement is affected by the provision of Accomplishment Reports that identify the annual goals of each program funded and the status of the activities at each quarterly reporting period. This allows concerned citizens and other stakeholders the opportunity to determine if program/service providers working in their planning areas are delivering the services as funded.

As required by HUD, a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) will be submitted to HUD by March 31st following the end of each program year which ends on December 31st. The CAPER provides an actual account of activities, accomplishments and expenditures, which occurred during the previous program year.

The City will publish a notice in at least two local newspapers regarding the availability of the CAPER, which will begin the 30-day review and comment period. The notice and the draft CAPER will also be made available to the public via the City’s website, City libraries, Legislative Reference Bureau, CDGA offices and to interested persons who request a copy of the report.

Upon completion of the CAPER and prior to its submission to HUD, the City will make the report available to the general public for a (30) day review and comment period. Any comments received from the general public will be included in Final CAPER submitted to HUD.

The Community & Economic Development Committee will hold a hearing on the CAPER. Each public hearing notice will include the availability of an interpreter if requested by non-English speaking or hearing-impaired persons that expected to participate at the hearing.

Consolidated Plan Public Contact Information

Community Development Grants Administration

Steven L. Mahan, Director

City Hall – 600 East Wells Street, Room 606

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Phone: 414-286-3647

comment@conplanmke.org 

PR-10 Consultation - 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l)

Introduction

In 2019 CDGA contracted with the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin (UEDA), a local nonprofit organization that specializes in technical assistance, to help develop the Consolidated Plan and ensure broader citizen participation. In partnership with the City, UEDA formed a robust team of community leaders representative of the community and economic development sector that became known as the Consolidated Plan Task Force.

UEDA’s project team also consulted a number of data sources in the drafting and preparation of the Consolidated Plan, including other City departments (City Development, Health, Neighborhood Services); the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), Milwaukee Continuum of Care, and local data consultants Data You Can Use. A review of recent research, plans and policy analysis was also conducted by UEDA, which is detailed in the Appendix.

Community input included the use of a public website (ConPlanMKE.org), community survey (both paper/in-person and electronic), focus groups, community meetings in key Neighborhood Strategic Planning (NSP) areas, and outreach/engagement at a number of neighborhood events in 2019. Further detail on these efforts is included in section PR-15 (Citizen Participation) and the Appendix.

Priorities and goals as described in the Needs Assessment, Market Analysis, and Strategic Plan sections were all formulated from broad-based participation of residents, various stakeholders, community-based service providers, faith-based institutions, businesses, schools, and neighborhood groups.

Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to enhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health, and service agencies (91.215(I)).

The City of Milwaukee conducts numerous activities in coordination with various units of government including Milwaukee County, the State of Wisconsin and various jurisdictions in southeastern Wisconsin, such as Wauwatosa, West Allis, Cudahy, Waukesha, etc. These activities include shelter, regional transportation, workforce issues, and joint cooperation on a Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing.

The City of Milwaukee is also active in the following public-private partnerships:

1. City of Milwaukee / Milwaukee County Continuum of Care
2. City of Milwaukee Housing Trust Fund (various housing providers)
3. Employ Milwaukee (workforce investment board)
4. Fund My Future (children's savings account initiative)
5. Bankers Roundtable (group of area financial institutions focused on community investment)
6. Bank On Greater Milwaukee (access to banking and financial stability services)
7. Community Development Alliance (CDA - funders alliance that will focus on housing starting 2021)
8. Greater Milwaukee Committee (Scale-Up, The Commons)
9. Environmental sustainability through the ECO department
10. Lead abatement efforts (trainees learn effective lead-safe work practices while addressing lead hazard issues affecting City residents)
11. Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) programs such as Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE), Brew City Match, etc.
12. Milwaukee 7 (regional, cooperative economic development consortium)
13. Milwaukee Health Care Partnership
14. Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center (formed in 2020, eviction prevention)
15. MKE United Greater Downtown Action Agenda
16. Social Development Commission (SDC) - Milwaukee County’s designated Community Action Agency (CAA)
17. Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC)
18. Take Root Milwaukee (sustainable homeownership initiative)
19. Various neighborhood initiatives led by community-based organizations and philanthropic community (Building Neighborhood Capacity Program, Healthy Neighborhoods, Near West Side Partners, Zilber Neighborhood Initiative)
20. WHEDA (state housing finance agency; responsible for Low Income Housing Tax Credits and homeownership programs

COVID-19 Pandemic Response

The City continues to work with the MKE Civic Response Team, a philanthropic coalition that formed immediately in the aftermath of public health restrictions and shutdowns. Not only have they announced significant contributions specifically for COVID-19 related impacts through the “MKE Responds” fund, but continue to coordinate the community response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working closely with the City of Milwaukee and a diverse array of community-based stakeholders in the following areas: 1) Early Childhood Education; 2) Economic Recovery; 3) Food Security; 4) K-12 Education; 5) Mental Health; 6) Physical Health; and 7) Shelter/Housing.

Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and persons at risk of homelessness

The mission of the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Continuum of Care (CoC) is to organize people and resources to end homelessness in Milwaukee. The City of Milwaukee is the lead support agency to the CoC, providing staff to various committees and workgroups. The CoC is composed of service providers, volunteer committees and networking/task force groups which have various roles and responsibilities to fulfill the mission of the CoC. The CoC has established numerous partnerships with local and regional entities with expertise in developing, operating and maintaining permanent supportive housing for homeless persons.

IMPACT serves as the Coordinating Agency for the Milwaukee Coc Coordinated Entry System. The CoC continues to work on strengthening partnerships with behavioral and physical health institutions so those being discharged are in contact with the Coordinated Entry System for connection to both permanent and emergency housing.

The resources and strategies employed by the Milwaukee CoC are described in greater detail in sections MA-30 (Homeless Facilities and Services), MA-35 (Special Needs Facilities and Services), and SP-60 (Homelessness Strategy).

Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards and evaluate outcomes, and develop funding, policies, and procedures for the administration of HMIS.

The Milwaukee City-County CoC makes decisions on the allocation of ESG funds, performance standards and outcomes, and policies and procedures for coordinated entry and the administration of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

The State of Wisconsin Department of Administration-Division of Housing contracts with the Institute for Community Alliances (ICA), a nonprofit that functions as the HMIS Lead Agency and/or HMIS administrator in 14 states, including Wisconsin. They are responsible for the maintenance, oversight, security and information collected as part of the HMIS. Services provided to the Milwaukee CoC include assessments of current reporting needs, training for agency system users, leading the Point-In-Time process, and providing required HUD reports.

Describe Agencies, groups, organizations, and others who participated in the process and describe the jurisdictions consultations with housing, social service agencies, and other entities

Traditionally, the City of Milwaukee has used its Federal entitlement funds to creatively respond to needs identified through the planning process. Community-based organizations are essential partners to strengthen the social and economic infrastructure of Milwaukee’s neighborhoods, and they were a cornerstone of the community input process.

The Consolidated Plan was developed through a collaborative process involving a task force and consultation from representatives from numerous entities such as housing, youth, homelessneses, persons with HIV/AIDS, economic development and jobs, persons with special needs and/or disabilities, philanthropy, policy/research, neighborhood groups, City departments, Milwaukee County, residents and others from the private sector.

UEDA worked with the City in a number of ways to engage different groups/organizations in the Consolidated Plan process. This included:

1. Convening a Task Force to guide and provide feedback, particularly related to community engagement and input. The Task Force met a number of times over the 18 month planning process, providing feedback on the community survey, focus groups, ConPlanMKE website, and various drafts of the plan. They also distributed the survey and invitations to participate with their networks, focusing particularly on residents and youth. With the plan now in the public comment period, the Task Force is a vital part of ensuring that citizens and interested parties have the opportunity to provide feedback and are involved in the final production of the plan. See the next page for a Task Force Roster.
2. Consultation with a wide range of data sources, including other City departments (City Development, Health, Neighborhood Services); the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), Milwaukee Continuum of Care, and local data consultants Data You Can Use. A review of recent research, plans and policy analysis was also conducted by UEDA, which is detailed in the Appendix.
3. Hosting a series of focus groups on specific topics, to allow for more targeted feedback and discussion. These sessions were open to the public and held both during the day and evening to allow for broad participation. Attendees included both sector professionals and interested citizens. Focus group topics were Housing, Youth Services, Small Business/Commercial Corridors. UEDA also worked with AREA, the consultant performing the regional analysis of fair housing, to co-host the Housing sessions.
4. Working with Neighborhood Strategic Planning (NSP) organizations to host community meetings, distribute and share the community survey, and gain resident feedback on needs and priorities for the Consolidated Plan. Four NSP meetings were held, covering the largest NSP areas on the near North and near South sides of Milwaukee. A list of the NSP agencies is included below.
5. Attending 15+ community-wide and neighborhood-based events in the Summer-Fall 2019, to engage residents by sharing the community survey (paper and electronic) and inviting them to public meetings and focus groups to gain resident feedback.

2020-2024 City of Milwaukee HUD Consolidated Plan Task Force

Neighborhood Strategic Planning Coordinating Agencies

The following agencies facilitate residents/stakeholder involvement in community improvement efforts such as crime prevention initiatives, neighborhood planning, door-to-door contacts that connect residents to resources, outreach/networking events, coordinated neighborhood cleanups, and other initiatives as specified by CDGA. Additionally, in coordination with the Milwaukee Police Department, NSP agencies establish and maintain block clubs/neighborhood watches/neighborhood stakeholder groups.

Additionally, the planning and implementation process is an ongoing, funded activity conducted by each of the NSP coordinating agencies. Monthly reports are submitted to CDGA detailing citizen and stakeholder planning and action on issues relating to identified long term outcomes. In addition NSP agencies assist the City with engaging residents around the annual funding allocation process (FAP).

There are 19 Neighborhood Strategic Planning (NSP) areas in the City of Milwaukee, of which 17 cover the City’s two Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas (NRSAs). NRSA 1 covers Milwaukee’s North and West central city neighborhoods and includes 14 NSP cluster areas. NRSA 2 covers Milwaukee’s near South Side neighborhoods and includes 3 NSP cluster areas. There are two NSP cluster areas outside of the city of Milwaukee’s NRSAs.

Identify any Agency Types not consulted and provide a rationale for not consulting

Not applicable. An open citizen/stakeholder process was conducted involving a broad sector of the community, engaging a diverse set of stakeholders. In addition, input was received through a community survey, focus groups, neighborhood meetings, and a Task Force.

Other local/regional/state/federal planning efforts considered when preparing the Plan

Table 3 – Other local / regional / federal planning efforts

Describe cooperation and coordination with other public entities, including the State and any adjacent units of general local government, in the implementation of the Consolidated Plan (91.215(l))

Narrative (optional)

The City of Milwaukee has a number of partnerships, with the recognition that collaborative approaches lead to stronger cooperation on housing, economic development, and quality of life issues. The City works with numerous institutions, organizations, public officials in State, County, and local jurisdictions on coordinated activities in furtherance of the goals in the Consolidated Plan. These partnerships include:

City of Milwaukee Departments: Affordable housing projects; economic development; summer youth employment program; healthcare programs, lead abatement, housing code enforcement, neighborhood improvement initiatives

City of Milwaukee Housing Trust Fund: Affordable housing projects

City of West Allis (local jurisdiction): Continuum of Care

Employ Milwaukee: Milwaukee’s area workforce investment board; Employment initiatives; poverty reduction programs; workforce training initiatives

Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee: Affordable housing; public housing; resident training & employment initiatives

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC): Major higher education institution in the City of Milwaukee; serving residents of the CDBG target area; collaborate with CDBG-funded agencies on educational pursuits; employment & training initiatives

Milwaukee County government: Continuum of Care; Regional Analysis to Impediments study; affordable housing projects

State of Wisconsin government: Department of Workforce Development (training and employment); Department of Children & Families (family services, employment); Department of Corrections (workforce training and employment for ex-offenders); Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (consumer issues);

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA): Affordable housing projects (use of Low Income Housing Tax Credits, National Housing Trust Fund dollars, etc.)

PR-15 Citizen Participation

Summary of the citizen participation process/Efforts made to broaden citizen participation. Summarize citizen participation process and how it impacted goal-setting

In accordance with the regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and in an effort to ensure adequate and accessible citizen participation, the City of Milwaukee adopted a Citizen Participation Plan in 1991. The plan outlines the procedures and processes used by the City to solicit citizen input and has since been updated and revised; the document was subsequently submitted and approved by HUD.

The City’s Citizen Participation Plan requires public hearings to obtain citizen input on funding proposals and inquiries at all stages of the community development program, including the Consolidated Plan, and Annual Funding Allocation Plan (FAP) and review of proposed activities and program performance. The FAP is reviewed annually through public hearings and amended where appropriate, as needs within the community change; and is the basis for the RFP process. Broad-based citizen and community input by stakeholders is strongly encouraged and solicited.

2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and Citizen Participation

The UEDA project team utilized a variety of engagement tools to reach citizens and invite them to participate in the Consolidated Plan process. This included traditional outreach methods such as community meetings, events, survey tools, and small group discussion, but also leveraging newer forms of electronic communication such as organizational databases, social media, the City’s E-Notify system, and the creation of a public website specifically for this project.

Citizen input was solicited in the following ways:

• A public website (ConPlanMKE.org) where anyone could see upcoming public meetings and make a request for information;
• Distribution of a community survey (both paper/in-person and electronic)
• Hosting focus groups and community meetings in key Neighborhood Strategic Planning (NSP) areas
• Attendance at various small group and association meetings
• Outreach/engagement at a number of neighborhood events in 2019

The community survey tool was developed so participants could identify and prioritize community needs and share their feedback. Responses were compiled in such a way to assist CDGA in lifting up key needs, and connecting them to strategic plan goals.  

Public meetings/focus groups were held at times and locations convenient to citizens and other stakeholders (i.e. in the evenings, during the day, at locations that are accessible for people with disabilities). They were promoted electronically via CDGA and UEDA networks, on social media, by tabling at community/neighborhood events, flyering in partner neighborhoods, etc. Four of the meetings were held in neighborhoods with a majority of African American and/or Hispanic persons, in partnership with NSP organizations.

The website, community survey, and promotion was all offered in English, Spanish and Hmong. Samples of the survey, community survey results, focus group summary, etc. can be found in the Appendix. All promotions included language that the City would accommodate the needs of people with disabilities or non-English speaking persons.

Finally, many funded agencies have attained status as a Community-Based Development Organization (CBDO). The CBDO designation mandates that Boards of Directors of these organizations consist of not only citizens of the target area, but area business owners and other stakeholders, such as schools and churches. That directive broadens community input and aligns with CDGA’s philosophy of increasing resident participation in developing neighborhood-based strategies.

Access to Information for Limited & Non-English Speaking Persons

To ensure access to information for all residents, current CDGA staff includes two bilingual persons (English-Spanish) who make themselves available in-house or at public hearings where some large segments of the population speak only Spanish. Southside Organizing Center, one of the NSP agencies, offers translation services for public meetings. With our large Asian-American population, CDGA has access to Hmong-Laotian interpreters through its linkage with the Hmong American Friendship Association (HAFA). The Consolidated Plan website and community survey was translated into both Spanish and Hmong.

Public Notification on the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan

In accordance with the regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Milwaukee prepared a “draft” of the 2020-2024 HUD Consolidated Plan will be posted for public comment at the City of Milwaukee website (www.city.milwaukee.gov/CDGA) and project website (ConPlanMKE.org) from January 8-February 9, 2021.  

The notice and the draft plan will also be made available to the public via the City libraries, Legislative Reference Bureau, CDGA offices and to interested persons who request a copy of the report. Additionally, CDGA notified all funded community agencies, NRSA NSP coordinating agencies, elected officials and other interested persons through e-mail and E-Notify (a local government citizen electronic notification system).

Because in-person / public meetings are not possible at this time due to the high rate of COVID-19 infections, notification will be distributed largely through electronic tools (e-mail via UEDA and E-Notify, Task Force members, social media). The public can provide feedback to a specific email address (comment@conplanmke.org), in writing or by phone to the CDGA office. UEDA will host an informational webinar in early January 2021 that is open to the public; it will be recorded and posted for future viewing at the project website (ConPlanMKE.org).

The Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee is the official oversight body for Federal grant funds. Members of the CED Committee have been provided regular updates about the Consolidated Plan process both at CED committee meetings (currently virtual) and via communication from CDGA and UEDA. Public meetings (virtual or in-person) were scheduled at times convenient to citizens, potential and actual beneficiaries, community-based agencies and other interested parties, with accommodations provided for persons with disabilities.

CDGA advertised public meetings through newspapers, mailings, telephone calls, City website,  and word-of-mouth. The Common Council City Clerk’s Office advertises and posts public notices for public meetings. The City includes in all notices that it will accommodate the needs of people with disabilities through sign language interpreters or other auxiliary aids.

Citizen Complaints

CDGA has an internal system for responding to citizen complaints and concerns in a timely manner (generally, within 15 working days where practicable). Program Officers are available to meet with clients that present themselves at the CDGA offices. A written report is formulated when the issues are of a substantive nature and resolution is not achieved during the initial meeting. Staff will follow-up on substantive issues and provide written responses to the complainant and if necessary, provide copies of these responses to the affected organizations. Staff will track the ensuing process and analyze feedback from the parties concerned to determine viable resolution.

Citizen Participation Outreach

Table 4 – Citizen Participation Outreach

From July 2019 - January 2020 the UEDA project team facilitated and/or participated in nearly 30 events, focus groups or meetings, receiving input from and/or engaging 1,100+ residents. We also met with Task Force members throughout the year (both as a group or individually) to receive additional, specific feedback related to various sections of the Consolidated Plan.

The community survey was open from July - November 2019 and received nearly 1,200 responses (in English, Spanish, Hmong). Outreach covered the CDBG Target Area well; the top 10 zip codes for responses were: 53212, 53208, 53215, 53207, 53206, 53204, 53218, 53202, 53209, and 53211. Youth also had a significant voice in the community survey; and survey demographics aligned with the City’s from the most recent 5-Year American Community Survey average.

The following top priorities were identified through survey, with respondents asked to prioritize services areas within each category:

• Public Services: Youth Services (38%)
• Economic Opportunity & Employment: Job Training & Placement (49%)
• Public Facilities/Infrastructure: Street Improvements (53%)
• Housing Options & Services: Safe Housing (39%) and Affordable Housing (26%)
• Special Needs Services/Housing: Homeless Assistance/Eviction Prevention (39%) & Fair Housing Enforcement (34%)

In terms of need, these Youth Services, Housing and Jobs rose to the top throughout the survey. Within each of these categories, the following issues/themes continued:

• Youth Activities
• Employment Services
• Street Improvements
• Affordable & Safe Housing
• Homeless Assistance / Eviction Prevention

In the survey comments, the following themes emerged:

• Transit and transportation issues are one of the most frequently named in the “Public Services” section, whether in the context of youth access to activities, or access to jobs
• Housing, especially affordability (more units) and offering new “non-traditional" options in affordable housing
• Youth services and activities, especially employment opportunities for youth
• Small business support services
• Facilities and Infrastructure: Street conditions and the need for repairs; Lead poisoning and water laterals
• Safety comes up often as a theme

Survey results were compiled in a summary report that is included in the Appendix and available at ConPlanMKE.org.

Needs Assessment

NA-05 Overview

Needs Assessment Overview

Over a 12-month period, the 2020-2024 City of Milwaukee HUD Consolidated Plan process utilized a comprehensive set of community outreach and input activities, analysis of housing and economic data, and review of other community plans to identify and summarize the following community needs.  

Background/Context

The City of Milwaukee’s current population is estimated to be 599,100. The median age in the City of Milwaukee is 31.3 years, which is lower than the larger metropolitan area (37.6 years). While the median age of the metro area is increasing, the City’s median age is increasing at a slower rate.

The City of Milwaukee has about 230,500 households, of which 44% are White (Non-Hispanic), 38% are Black, 13% are Hispanic, and 3% are Asian. Native American and multi-racial households are slightly less than 1%. The metro Milwaukee area is considered very hyper-segregated, with 90% of metro area Black households and 67% of Hispanic households residing within the City of Milwaukee.

As America’s demography is changing, so too is the City of Milwaukee. While the City’s total population has been relatively stable since 2000, the dynamics of who lives in the City has changed. The percentage of the City’s population that identifies as non-White has grown, both through a decline in the White non-Hispanic population via out-migration (“white flight”), and a significant growth in the Latino/Hispanic population.

For example, between 2000 and 2017 the Latino/Hispanic population grew by about 54% (38,000 people). The Black population has remained relatively unchanged, with a less than 1% increase. Also, while the City as a whole is among the most diverse in the nation by some measures, there are many neighborhoods that are highly segregated where more than 90% of residents are persons of color.

The 2017 median household income in the City of Milwaukee is $38,300, which is significantly lower than surrounding communities:

Key Comparative 2017 Income Indicators

Data Source: City of Milwaukee Department of City Development. 2017 5 Year American Community Survey

However, about 77,700 or 34% of City households earn less than $25,000 in 2017. These households tend to spend a considerable portion of their annual incomes on housing, and generally have difficulty finding safe and decent housing in the private market. When people have to pay more for housing, this leaves few resources to meet other basic needs such as food, health care, transportation, etc.

There are also significant disparities when looking at economic indicators by race. For example, in 2015 the median wage for non-white workers was $5 less than the median wage for white workers in the City of Milwaukee, and only 51% of non-white workers earned at least $15/hour, while 73% of white workers did. [Source: National Equity Atlas]

Another challenge is that the percent of persons living in poverty in the City of Milwaukee is around 26% (or about 143,700 people) - much higher than the national average of 14%. Additionally, it is estimated that 41% of children ages 0-17 are living in households with income below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). [Source: Milwaukee Health Compass]

With poverty and unemployment rates significantly higher in the City of Milwaukee than in the metro area, there is strong demand (and need) for affordable housing units. Other key factors that influence and impact poverty include access to quality (safe) housing, jobs with living wages, health care, and social services.

With this economic and demographic context in mind, the City of Milwaukee assessed community-level needs in the following ways:

Housing: There continues to be a great need for affordable housing units, particularly for those that are paying more than 30-50% of their income towards housing. Cost burden also disproportionately affects communities of color and people with disabilities in the City. Other problems include a significant number of older housing units, lack of resources for housing maintenance and repairs, decreasing owner occupancy, risk of resident displacement due to gentrification, dislocation of residents due to eviction, lead-based hazards, loss of affordable rental units, appraisal valuations, and potential opposition to affordable housing development. Additionally, in recent years there has been an increasing understanding of the direct links between safe, quality housing and people’s physical health.

Public Services: The community input process provided additional insight into the need for the following public services in the City of Milwaukee: youth programs (especially job training/work experiences), employment services, street and transportation improvements, affordable and safe housing, services for homeless persons and those with mental, physical and/or developmental disabilities, eviction prevention, crime prevention/neighborhood safety, neighborhood improvement initiatives, community organizing, small business support, support for addressing environmental issues such as lead-based hazards and public health issues such as Covid-19, and access to healthy food. Youth services cut across all categories, which is not surprising given that nearly 30% of the City’s population (or 177,694 people) is 19 and under.

Economic Opportunity: These needs include expansion of employment, placement and job training services, financial wellness education, support of Milwaukee’s commercial corridors and economic development, support of workforce mobility and poverty reduction programs, technical and financial assistance to businesses for job creation, programs that foster entrepreneurship and small business growth, particularly for young people, and homeownership or other wealth-building opportunities. A critical need will be to support small, neighborhood-based businesses that have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic while helping them build toward long-term resilience.

Homelessness: These needs include better quality and more affordable housing particularly for extremely low-income households; financial/rent assistance or income supports, targeted partnership programs for employment and medical care; and financial support to provide supportive services such as case management, protective payee services, AODA programs, and mental health care.

Public Improvements: Needs identified in the City of Milwaukee include street, sidewalk and alley improvements (i.e. resurfacing or reconstructing existing pavement, curb and gutter, or new streets as part of residential, commercial, and industrial development). Residents are also interested in programs/services that emphasize energy conservation, address lead-based hazards, and improve transportation or mobility citywide (public transit, bicycle and pedestrian access).

Public Facilities: These needs include brownfield remediation, environmentally sustainable development, improvements to parks and other public spaces, recreation facilities for youth and families, and expanded senior facilities. New considerations as a result of the public health pandemic (COVID-19) include upgrades to HVAC and other systems to allow for safe, social distancing practices and the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and cleaning/disinfection supplies.

Public Housing: The Housing Authority City of Milwaukee (HACM), members of the Continuum of Care, and task force representatives identified the need for additional Section 8 Housing Vouchers and Rent Assistance certificates. HACM last opened its rent assistance voucher waiting list in 2015 and took in over 35,000 applications in ten days. When the public housing family waitlist was last opened in 2017, over 8,400 households applied in two months. Additionally, with a shortage of accessible homes/apartments in the market, there is a need for accessible units for residents with mobility issues. Residents in public housing also need supportive services to live independently (seniors, people with disabilities), to improve economic self-sufficiency, and access to transportation.

Special Needs Populations: These needs include permanent housing and supportive services for persons with mental, physical and/or developmental disabilities, HIV/Aids; services for the elderly and people with disabilities such as homecare, transportation, employment, and home repair/maintenance. New groups that have emerged in public input for specialized services are youth aging out of foster care, victims of trafficking or domestic violence, LGBTQ individuals (and youth), and formerly incarcerated individuals.

Needs Associated with the Impact of COVID-19 Factors: During the completion of the Consolidated Plan, all phases of life were thrown into disarray by the COVID-19 pandemic. Public, nonprofit and private entities are working together to increase the capacity of agencies and programs on the front line of the pandemic, and complement the ongoing work of public health experts. The need for investments in facilities, PPE, cleaning supplies and increased maintenance of public facilities to support safe public health practices will have renewed focus. Long-term economic and social disruptions are expected to cause extreme hardships for a broad swath of City of Milwaukee residents, exacerbate many of the needs discussed above, and require sustained investment in strategies that support long-term recovery.

Administration of the City’s HUD Entitlement Program: These needs include day-to-day oversight and administration of all HUD-funded programs to ensure compliance with Federal regulations, timeliness of expenditures, monitoring all funded activities and technical assistance to subrecipients.

Summary

The community survey also asked respondents “What is great about our City of Milwaukee” and “What needs to change about our City of Milwaukee.” The most frequent responses to what is great were Milwaukee’s diversity, green spaces, neighborhoods and people. Conversely, responses to what needs to change included segregation, better housing, jobs and safety. Overall there is a sense that Milwaukee’s diversity of people and neighborhoods (and as evidenced in the demographic data) is a strength, but the impact of continued segregation patterns remains a challenge.

Milwaukee’s continued standing as one of the most segregated cities and metro areas in the country is a result of a long history of structural and institutional racism. The legacy of past “redlining” practices continues to manifest in deep racial and economic inequalities in the region, including a persistent and startling racial wealth gap. Working to reverse the impact of these historical disparities requires a consistent focus on growing incomes and employment rates of existing city residents.

PRIMARY SOURCES:

1. City of Milwaukee HUD Consolidated Plan Community Survey, Focus Groups, Task Force and City Department input
2. 2019 City of Milwaukee Housing Affordability Report - Department of City Development, Planning Division (December 2019)
3. Home is Where our Health Is: Policies to Improve the Health of Renters in Milwaukee and Beyond - Human Impact Partners and Community Advocates Public Policy Institute (February 2020)
4. 2019 Community Needs Assessment - Social Development Commission
5. A Place in the Neighborhood: An Anti-Displacement Plan for Neighborhoods Surrounding Downtown Milwaukee - City of Milwaukee, Department of City Development (February 2018)
6. PolicyLink/PERE, National Equity Atlas, www.nationalequityatlas.org 

NA-10 Housing Needs Assessment - 24 CFR 91.205 (a,b,c)

Below is data provided by HUD’s Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) as part of the Consolidated Plan development. Note these figures are the most recent data provided by IDIS.

Summary of Housing Needs

Table 5 - Housing Needs Assessment Demographics

Data Source: 2005-2009 ACS (Base Year), 2011-2015 ACS (Most Recent Year)

Number of Households Table

Table 6 - Total Households Table

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

Housing Needs Summary Tables

Below is data provided by HUD’s Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) as part of the Consolidated Plan development. Note these figures are the most recent data provided by IDIS.

1. Housing Problems

(Households with one of the listed needs)

Table 7 – Housing Problems Table

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

2. Housing Problems 2

(Households with one or more Severe Housing Problems: Lacks kitchen or complete plumbing, severe overcrowding, severe cost burden)

Table 8 – Housing Problems 2

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

3. Cost Burden > 30%

Table 9 – Cost Burden > 30%

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

4. Cost Burden > 50%

Table 10 – Cost Burden > 50%

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

5. Crowding (More than one person per room)

Table 11 – Crowding Information – 1/2

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

Table 12 – Crowding Information – 2/2

Data Source:  City of Milwaukee Department of City Development. The 2018 PUMS 5 Year data was used to calculate/estimate the percentages of Households that had children (18 and under), by tenure (TEN), and sorted using the AMI thresholds to get the percentages within each group, and applied it to the 2018 5 Year estimates on numbers of renter and owner occupied households.

Describe the number and type of single person households in need of housing assistance.

According to feedback from Continuum of Care service providers, single men make up a significant number of those experiencing homeless in Milwaukee, and is disproportionate to men of color. About 23% of women seeking shelter as a result of domestic violence are single. Single person households often struggle with mental health and AODA issues. These issues are discussed in greater detail in sections NA-40 and NA-45.

Estimate the number and type of families in need of housing assistance who are disabled or victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

In 2018 there were just over 490 people sheltered as a result of domestic violence or fleeing from abuse. Although they need a variety of supportive services and assistance with criminal justice, one of the biggest gaps or needs for this group is financial and/or rent assistance.

According to the National Disability Institute (NDI), 12.6% of the City of Milwaukee’s population has a disability. Among those working, 63% of workers with disabilities are earning less than $25,000, and 37% of households with a person with a disability pay more than 50% of their income for housing. People with disabilities experience a higher rate of severe housing cost burden and there is a shortage of accessible units both in the private market and in public housing.

The housing and service needs for these individuals are discussed further in sections NA-40 and NA-45.

What are the most common housing problems?

The most common housing problems in the City of Milwaukee can be described in terms of affordability and quality. In particular there is a need for affordable housing units for people with very or extremely low-income (50% or below AMI). The opportunity to earn a livable wage has a major influence on housing affordability in the City of Milwaukee. Wisconsin is one of 21 states that has a minimum wage equal to the Federal minimum. State legislation prohibits setting minimum wages above this, despite ample evidence that higher minimum wages lead to lower poverty rates for families with low incomes. There is also a need for quality affordable modest single-family homes for first-time homebuyers.

Over 42% of the housing in the City was built before 1940, and is located in the central city. Much of this housing stock is in need of repair, particularly in neighborhoods with high percentages of low-income households and absentee landlords. Substandard housing can have a detrimental impact on people’s health. Costs to maintain and update older properties are often prohibitive, and deferred maintenance by property owners due to negligence or due to an inability to secure funding is a major problem. Residents in aging homes often pay more for energy costs and to address the impacts of lead-based hazards.  

The loss of tenant protections in recent years has led to a decrease in housing stability for many residents at risk of eviction, either because of affordability or poor conditions.

Nearly 68% of respondents to the Consolidated Plan community survey stated that housing discrimination was common in Milwaukee County. There is still often community opposition to affordable housing developments both in city neighborhoods, but also in other jurisdictions in the region. While this is not new or even surprising, in 2019, the City of Milwaukee participated in a collaborative “Regional Analysis of Impediment to Fair Housing” that included the counties of MIlwaukee, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha, plus the municipalities of Wauwatosa and West Allis. The resulting analysis was completed in 2020, and took a deeper look at some of the longstanding systemic problems that plague the region. These impediments range from and are not limited to:

• Lack of regional strategy and housing plan.
• Lack of regionally dispersed affordable housing.
• Restrictive land use regulations and zoning ordinances.
• Prevalent “NIMBYism” or fear of others in some communities.
• Lack of fair housing guidance and enforcement.
• Lack of accessible housing for persons with disabilities.
• Racial disparities in homeownership.
• Extensive use of evictions.

The assessment also found that Milwaukee, being the largest City of the collaborative, has some distinguishing characteristics that deserve special attention (although these are also shared by the older suburban cities). These include gentrification in some neighborhoods surrounding the downtown area, a lack of private investment in specific neighborhoods, racial and ethnic disparities in mortgage lending, insurance and appraisal practices, and lack of awareness of fair housing laws. Each of these not only presents unique challenges, but are also connected to the most common housing problems in Milwaukee.

Are any populations/household types more affected than others by these problems?

Households that are very or extremely low-income (50% or below AMI) experience housing problems such as overcrowding, substandard conditions or severe cost burden at disproportionate rates. In 2017, about 34% of City households earned less than $25,000. These households tend to spend a considerable portion of their annual incomes on housing, and generally have difficulty finding safe and decent housing in the private market.

Other groups that are more affected include the elderly, who need financial assistance and improved conditions to age in place; households with children or larger families; non-white households; people living with a disability; those recovering from substance abuse; people with mental health considerations; those aging out of foster care; formerly incarcerated individuals; and immigrant or refugee populations.

Local data consultants Data You Can Use (DYCU) provided additional analysis that examined trends for the most severe housing problems and changes in the characteristics and needs of households who are at risk (see DYCU Trends Analysis tables for detail). They found that:

• The number of households who have extremely low incomes (0-30% AMI) has increased over time.

• There has been a significant increase over time in elderly households that pay more than 50% of their incomes towards rent.
• The number of households living in overcrowded units, including single-family households, has also increased over time, particularly for those 0-50% AMI.

• Renters in low and extremely low-income households continue to experience one or more severe housing problems at higher rates than those in other income groups, including severe cost burden and living in overcrowded conditions.

Describe the characteristics and needs of Low-income individuals and families with children (especially extremely low-income) who are currently housed but are at imminent risk of either residing in shelters or becoming unsheltered 91.205(c)/91.305(c)). Also discuss the needs of formerly homeless families and individuals who are receiving rapid re-housing assistance and are nearing the termination of that assistance.

Characteristics that lead to instability include low wages, insecure employment, and/or poverty (higher cost burden), poor condition of the unit, the threat of domestic violence, or someone in the household that is experiencing substance abuse, mental health issues, physical and/or developmental disabilities. When people are unable to pay their rent because of the high cost of housing, they are at greater risk for eviction or involuntary moves and thus homelessness. Many people experience one or more of these issues, and exist in a traumatic and unstable environment.

Additionally, homeowners experiencing financial difficulties are at greater risk of losing their homes to foreclosure, or struggle to maintain the property. Low-income elderly homeowners in particular often live on a fixed income, are unable to make needed repairs, and/or are at risk for displacement when property taxes rise.

Continuum of Care service providers unilaterally agreed that case management and financial assistance are critical needs for formerly homeless families. Continuing to provide supportive services and/or financial subsidies for those nearing the end of rapid re-housing assistance is needed.

With the economic impact of COVID-19 becoming more and more apparent, we anticipate that more households are at risk of becoming homeless due to a significant loss of income and lack of resources for increased rent assistance.

If a jurisdiction provides estimates of the at-risk population(s), it should also include a description of the operational definition of the at-risk group and the methodology used to generate the estimates:

The City of Milwaukee follows the ESG regulation on the definition of "at-risk population":

An individual or family only has to meet one of the 7 (A-G) and meets the requirements laid out in (i), (ii), (iii). § 576.2 Definitions.

At risk of homelessness means: (1) An individual or family who:

1. Has an annual income below 30 percent of median family income for the area, as determined by HUD;
2. Does not have sufficient resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the “homeless” definition in this section; and
3. Meets one of the following conditions:

1. Has moved because of economic reasons two or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness prevention assistance;
2. Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship;
3. Has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days after the date of application for assistance;
4. Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals;
5. Lives in a single-room occupancy or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than two persons or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than 1.5 persons reside per room, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau;
6. Is exiting a publicly funded institution, or system of care (such as a health-care facility, a mental health facility, foster care or other youth facility, or correction program or institution); or Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified in the recipient's approved consolidated plan;

4. A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under section 387(3) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)), section 637(11) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832(11)), section 41403(6) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2(6)), section 330(h)(5)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)(5)(A)), section 3(m) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(m)), or section 17(b)(15) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(15)); or
5. A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that child or youth if living with her or him.

Specify particular housing characteristics that have been linked with instability and an increased risk of homelessness.

Housing characteristics that lead to instability are the high cost of renting (exceeds the tenant’s financial means); a financial emergency or major expense; unsafe housing conditions including condemnation; age; sexual orientation and identity; race/Ethnicity; lack of support for families that are experiencing a mental health crisis or have members with special needs; the threat of domestic violence; barriers to approval and higher costs for housing.

A lack of affordable housing, poor conditions, low-incomes, mental health or substance abuse issues, eviction history and criminal records (which are easily searched in Wisconsin), non-standard rental agreements for people with eviction or criminal history; and a limited supply of Housing Choice vouchers and other subsidized housing were all matters raised several times in focus groups as factors that decreased housing stability. Continuum of Care service providers also indicated that a lack of access to supportive services and/or financial assistance after six months increases a person’s likelihood of experiencing housing instability quickly, and potentially becoming homeless.

Discussion

The remaining sections of the Needs Assessment go into further detail on disproportionate need for housing by income, race/Ethnicity, housing problems and the housing/service needs for specific groups of people.

NA-15 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2)

Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the needs of that category of need as a whole.

Introduction

The following charts contain data provided by HUD that shows how housing problems affect people in the City of Milwaukee by income level and race or Ethnicity. The data is provided by HUD’s Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) as part of the Consolidated Plan development. Note these figures are the most recent data provided by IDIS.

0%-30% of Area Median Income

Table 13 - Disproportionately Greater Need 0 - 30% AMI

*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS 

30%-50% of Area Median Income

Table 14 - Disproportionately Greater Need 30 - 50% AMI

*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

50%-80% of Area Median Income

Table 15 - Disproportionately Greater Need 50 - 80% AMI

*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS 

80%-100% of Area Median Income

Table 16 - Disproportionately Greater Need 80 - 100% AMI

*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

Discussion

Along with the data provided by HUD, we also asked local data consultants Data You Can Use (DYCU) to further examine and analyze trends related to housing problems by income and race. They found that since the last Consolidated Plan, more households are experiencing 1 or more housing problems, with higher percentages at the lower income levels (0-50% AMI). As income increases, the need becomes more evenly spread across racial demographics; however, non-white households continue to be more disproportionately affected than the jurisdiction as a whole. For example:

• Since 2010, 13% more extremely low-income households experienced one or more housing problems. Households that are 30% AMI continue to experience more housing problems than other income brackets, and are the least able to afford it.
• Since 2010 Hispanic households at 30% AMI experienced a 46% increase in 1 or more housing problems, for Asian households it was an increase of 40%, and for Blacks it was an increase of 13%.
• For very low-income households (30-50% AMI), the trends continue at similar rates with 7% more of all households experiencing 1 or more housing problems; 46% more Asian households; 13% more Hispanic households; and 10% more black Households.
• At the 50-80% AMI level, since 2010 fewer total households experienced 1 or more housing problems (10% decrease), as well as fewer Black households (6% decrease). However, more Asian households (9% increase) and Hispanic households (2% increase) are disproportionately affected.

For detail view the DYCU Trends Analysis tables in the Appendix.

Non-White Households

While the City of Milwaukee has a very racially and ethnically diverse population, there are many neighborhoods which are highly segregated (particularly on the City’s north side), and where more than 90% of residents are persons of color (see MKE Indicators Population - Racial and Ethnic Make-up: https://www.datayoucanuse.org/mke-indicators/). Due to the legacy of past “redlining” practices and structural/institutional racism, these neighborhoods are also often the very same neighborhoods that have higher rates of extremely- to very-low income households and/or persons living in poverty.  

Within the City of Milwaukee, 220,362 persons are Black/African-American with 74,220 or 33.7% below the poverty level. According to the U.S. Census, Black householders paid out a higher proportion of family income for rental costs than did other renters, and make up 42% of those spending 30% to 50% of their income on housing and 51% of those spending over 50% of their income for housing. African-Americans are bearing a disproportionately greater cost burden for housing than other populations in Milwaukee.

Poverty Status – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Data Source: 2018 American Community Survey

Since 2010, all non-white households earning 0-50% AMI experienced an increase in 1 or more housing problems. However, African-Americans generally had more problems with the physical condition of their homes than other households in the Milwaukee area, and had such problems with upkeep, public hallways, plumbing, heating, electrical systems and kitchens.

Looking back at Table 6 of the Housing Needs Assessment (NA-10) it is useful to consider that close to 43% of all households in the City of Milwaukee have an income that is 0-50% of the AMI (either very or extremely low-income). Along with the data above, it is clear that non-white households in the City not only experience a higher cost burden, but also disproportionately experience one or more housing problems.

Other Factors Demonstrating Disproportionate Need

Based on review/analysis of City of Milwaukee housing data, reports, and community input, the following additional factors emerged that demonstrate disproportionate need when assessing housing problems for City of Milwaukee residents.

(1) Low Income Households

The Federal government’s standard for affordable housing is that no more 30% of household income should be spent on housing related costs. According to HUD, “families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording basic necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care.” During the past few years, costs for these basic needs have risen dramatically.

Current Homeowners

With an annual median household income for owners in the City of Milwaukee at $38,000, 43% of owner-occupied households earn less than 80% AMI. For example, approximately 10% of owner-occupied households (9,935) in Milwaukee had incomes at 30% or less of the Area Median Income (AM); and 13% (12,315 households) had incomes from 30-50% AMI. An additional 20% of owner-occupied households (19,350) have incomes between 50-80% AMI.

Between 2006 - 2016 the number of owner-occupied households with incomes less than 80% AMI dropped slightly from 42,400 (CHAS 2006-2010) to 41,600 (CHAS 2012-2016); however the number of owner-occupied households with incomes less than 50% AMI actually increased by 7% over that same time period.

Some of the City’s oldest housing stock is located in census tracts with the highest concentrations of low-income households, with much of this stock in need of repair. Along with the Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP), Targeted Investment Neighborhoods (TIN) and Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) funds, many City of Milwaukee neighborhood organizations also offer grants and partner with financial institutions to offer low-cost loans for essential home repairs. However the demand for this assistance exceeds what’s available every year.

Current Renters

Also, as of 2018 the American Community Survey (ACS) estimated there were 134,432 renter-occupied units in the City of Milwaukee with an average household size of 2.39 per renter-occupied unit. From 2006-2016, there was a 16% increase of Milwaukee-area renter households with incomes at 50% AMI or less (approximately 78,870 households, CHAS). Within this, there was a 22% increase in households with incomes at 0-30% AMI (51,415) and a 1% increase in renter households with incomes between 50-80% AMI.

According to the 2019 City of Milwaukee Housing Affordability Report, estimates of median rents vary by number of bedrooms within units: 1 bedroom units were about $670 per month, 2 bedrooms were about $826 per month and 3 bedrooms were about $979 per month. An analysis of 2017 supply data showed that only 12.5% of the housing supply in the City was estimated to be rented for $500 or less/month, which would allow very low-income households to avoid housing cost burden. There is a real gap of supply in affordable rental units (about 33,000 units) for households at or below $35,000, but especially those at less than $20,000 in annual income.

This was supported in a 2018 report on rental housing in Milwaukee County by the Wisconsin Policy Forum which found that while the median cost of rent is not particularly high, there is a supply gap for affordable units for low-income renters (The Cost of Living: Milwaukee’s County’s Rental Housing Trends and Challenges).  

Increasing Homeownership

In the City of Milwaukee there was a significant decline in the number of households that owned their own homes between 2007-2018 (by 12%, or 13,600 households). This was particularly the case in the central city (see MKE Indicators Market Value - Homeownership: https://www.datayoucanuse.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2019/05/Market_Value_Comparison_Homeownership_Owner_Occupied__Occupancy_Housing_Units-DATA-2012-2018-REVISED-1.pdf). While this trend leveled off in 2017, it mirrors national trends and was largely due to the Great Recession and mortgage foreclosure crisis. Additionally, there are significant racial disparities when it comes to homeownership in the City, with non-white households owning homes at rate of 30+ percentage points lower than white households.

Percent owner-occupied households by race/ethnicity: Milwaukee, WI; 1990–2017

Source: Policy Link National Equity Atlas (https://nationalequityatlas.org/indicators/Homeownership#/)

A number of researchers in the past few years have looked at racial disparities in homeownership in greater detail (i.e. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development, Milwaukee Health Compass Community Health Needs Assessment, Take Root Milwaukee homeownership initiative). The most recent American Community Survey average (2018) show the following homeownership rates by race/Ethnicity:

Source: Wisconsin Policy Forum, “Laying the Foundation: An overview of City of Milwaukee affordable housing programs and priorities” (July 2020 - Wisconsin Policy Forum | Laying the Foundation (wispolicyforum.org))

The community input process demonstrated that the desire for supporting homeownership remains a major concern for residents in Milwaukee. Although Milwaukee residents discussed it in a variety of contexts, homeownership was consistently seen as a stabilizing force for families and neighborhoods alike. Key issues related to increasing homeownership include the following:

• Access to down payment assistance and conventional mortgage loans for low-income people must be widened. Many low-income residents in Milwaukee desire homes, are committed to their neighborhoods, but do not earn enough to save for a downpayment or cannot qualify for loans.
• Large families would benefit greatly from homeownership as overcrowding, high rents and lower numbers of units that can accommodate large families continue to put pressure on this group.
• Neighborhood safety is still an important issue for many in Milwaukee’s central city. Declining homeownership, deteriorating and foreclosed properties, closed businesses, drugs and violence all continue to erode the safety and well-being of residents.
• Many low-income people are highly motivated to learn the various aspects of successful homeownership, and would greatly benefit from increased access to technical assistance resources and assistance to buy a home, particularly financial education/counseling and household budgeting practices.
• An increasing number of housing units in Milwaukee are owned by individuals and businesses that do not reside in the City of Milwaukee (or even the state). As more housing stock is owned by investors, opportunities for homeownership decline as supply is reduced and prices are driven up.

The City of Milwaukee’s Anti-Displacement Plan (2018) specifically identifies the need to support and grow the capacity of existing organizations and programs that help low- to moderate-income individuals and families purchase homes. In particular, the plan focuses on assisting renters acquire and occupy homes in neighborhoods immediately surrounding downtown Milwaukee through housing counseling, down-payment and closing cost assistance, purchase/rehab loans, and responsible rent-to-own models.

(2) Unit Safety and Quality

According to the City of Milwaukee’s Housing Affordability Report (2019), some of the City’s oldest housing stock is located in census tracts with the highest concentrations of households earning under $25,000 per year and much of this stock is in need of repair. This is particularly the case in neighborhoods with high percentages of low-income households and absentee landlords, with prohibitive costs to maintain and update older properties, and a higher rate of building code violations that require significant improvements. For many low-income people in Milwaukee, obtaining rental housing that meets standards of safety and decency in terms of the HUD-defined criteria for housing problems (i.e. plumbing, electrical systems etc.), is difficult.

In the Consolidated Plan community input survey, 39% of respondents ranked “Safe” as their top need for investment in housing, with “Affordable” right behind it. Focus groups with residents and sector professionals also focused on the declining quality of the City’s older housing stock as significant concerns. Some identified this as an opportunity to utilize rehabilitation resources (particularly by turning foreclosed homes back into ownership); others also discussed new or non-traditional development strategies that would both improve the quality and affordability of housing in the central city.

(3) Senior Households

In 2017, about 6.5% of the City of Milwaukee’s population was over 70 years old, and the City currently has about 39,000 seniors that will either need to age in place or find appropriate housing (2019 City of Milwaukee Housing Affordability Report). Additionally, of the total population living below the federal poverty level in Milwaukee, 15% (9,503) were aged 65 or older. Table 6 of NA-10 also shows that 23% of households with at least one person aged 62 or older have an income of less than 50% AMI (22,735 households, CHAS). The following are the major concerns for older adults in Milwaukee:

• Safe neighborhoods, as many seniors are highly at-risk for certain types of crime including burglary, assault and physical and sexual abuse. They are often afraid to leave their homes and feel trapped resulting in isolation and dependence.
• Senior homeowners and/or people with disabilities are most at risk of losing their homes due to rising taxes and property assessments, while living on a fixed income.
• Maintenance and repair of homes owned by seniors is a major concern as many older adults live on fixed incomes and can no longer maintain their homes and exterior premises. Deterioration results and the safety of owners and neighbors can be compromised.
• Senior duplex owners are losing needed income from unrented units as many do not rent out of fear and their inability to maintain and repair units. They also need assistance in recovering rental income.
• Accessibility of homes owned by seniors as they age, to address difficulty entering and leaving homes, and moving safely and efficiently inside them.
• If seniors lose their housing or need to go into shelter, they are often the hardest group to shelter given health concerns and lack of medical care on-site at shelters.
• Other needs for older adults include legal assistance and estate planning, transportation, housekeeping assistance, nutritional and health care programs, and assisted living programs that help them day-to-day routines (particularly for those that are emotionally unwilling or economically unable to leave their home).

(4) Families

Large numbers of Milwaukee families, especially in the central city, cannot afford decent and reasonably priced housing. Significant proportions of large families in Milwaukee reside in cramped, overcrowded and unsafe rental housing units. Major concerns for family rental housing center on affordability, availability, quality (structurally sound, up to code), size, and location (in all areas of the City).

Of particular concern are the needs of female-headed households with children under the age of 18. Milwaukee has a total of 33,982 of these families, and of them 42.3% are below the federal poverty level (2018 ACS). This population has a great need for larger, more affordable housing units along with a variety of services such as employment and access to better-paying jobs, healthcare, childcare, transportation, and life-skills.

(5) Special Needs Populations

The following groups also experience disproportionately greater need in terms of accessing safe, affordable housing, and often require a variety of supportive services.

Persons with Mental, Physical and/or Developmental Disabilities

Of Milwaukee’s total civilian non-institutionalized population of 587,011, approximately 14% (148,907 persons) have a disability which includes vision, hearing, ambulatory, cognitive and/or self-care difficulties, (2018 ACS). The majority of this population receives SSI/SSDI as their major source of income.

According to the National Disability Institute (NDI), 45% of working-age people (18-64) with disabilities live below poverty, compared with 20% of those without disabilities. Among those that are working, 63% of workers with disabilities earn less than $25,000/year. About 37% of households with a person with a disability pay more than 50% of their income towards housing, experiencing a severe housing cost burden. Also, a majority of census tracts that have 19%+ people with a disability are also concentrated in the central city (p. 2 NDI “Milwaukee From A Disability Perspective”) and coincide with areas that have the oldest housing stock.

There is a need for additional affordable permanent housing with supportive services (such as HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly and Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities). And for persons living independently, other needs include accessibility modifications, financial assistance, transportation, and assistance with home care and home maintenance.

Housing Needs of Persons with HIV and AIDS

As of December 2018, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, (DHS), HIV/AIDS Program documented 7,185 persons with HIV infection living in Wisconsin, with nearly half (48%) of those individuals currently residing in Milwaukee County. During 2009-2018, there was an average of 240 new HIV diagnoses per year.

HIV disproportionately affects people of color in Wisconsin; the percentage of new diagnoses affecting people of color rose from 20% in 1982 to 66% in 2018. During 2018, racial and ethnic minorities made up just 18% of Wisconsin’s population, but consisted of 66% of new HIV diagnoses.

This health inequity can largely be attributed to social and economic factors (i.e. the social determinants of health), which affect non-white people to a larger extent in Wisconsin, putting people of color at greater risk for acquiring HIV. Additionally, people living with HIV are living longer and healthier lives, requiring that services for people living with HIV often need to address health conditions associated with aging.

Many HIV-positive individuals struggle with housing needs. As the numbers of housing units available for low-income individuals continue to shrink, this increases competition for available housing and offers landlords an upper hand when making choices about to whom they should rent.

(6) People Experiencing Homelessness

According to Milwaukee Continuum of Care service providers, the most consistent factor linked to an increased risk of homelessness is that most rents exceed a tenant’s financial means. Other factors cited include race/Ethnicity, insecure employment, children with special needs, and eviction history. There is strong consensus that homelessness disproportionately affects people of color, especially African-Americans.

A lack of affordable housing is a major need of homeless persons, as well as supportive services (particularly case management, mental health and AODA services) to help persons achieve self-sufficiency and maintain permanent housing. While the Housing First model and permanent supportive housing practices have become more prevalent, the availability of financial subsidy and supportive services continues to fall short of the need in Milwaukee.

NA-20 Disproportionately Greater Need: Severe Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2)

Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the needs of that category of need as a whole.

Introduction

Below is data provided by HUD’s Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) as part of the Consolidated Plan development. Note these figures are the most recent data provided by IDIS.

As the following charts show, non-white households are more affected than the jurisdiction as a whole in terms of experiencing severe housing problems, particularly African-Americans and extremely low-income (0-30% AMI) and very low-income (30-50% AMI) households. No disproportionate need was found in the middle-income category (80-100% AMI).

0%-30% of Area Median Income

Table 17 – Severe Housing Problems 0 - 30% AMI

*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%                                                Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

30%-50% of Area Median Income

Table 18 – Severe Housing Problems 30 - 50% AMI

*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%                                                 Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

50%-80% of Area Median Income

Table 19 – Severe Housing Problems 50 - 80% AMI

*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS 

80%-100% of Area Median Income

Table 20 – Severe Housing Problems 80 - 100% AMI

*The four housing problems are: 1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per room, 4. Cost Burden greater than 30%

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

Discussion

Local data consultants Data You Can Use (DYCU) provided additional trends analysis by income and race for severe (four or more) housing problems. Since the previous Consolidated Plan, more households at lower income levels (0-50% AMI) continue to experience severe housing problems, as compared to the jurisdiction as a whole (an increase of 17%). These are the households that are least able to afford it, and non-white households continue to be more disproportionately affected. For example:

• Since 2010 Hispanic households at 30% AMI  experienced a 46% increase in 1 or more housing problems, for Asian households it was an increase of 37%, and for Blacks it was an increase of 17%.
• For very low-income households (30-50% AMI), the trends continue with 65% more Asian households and 80% more Native Americans experiencing severe housing problems.
• At the 50-80% AMI level, since 2010 only some non-white households are more affected (Asians, 60% increase), while others are less affected than the juridiction as a whole (Blacks, 7% decrease; Hispanics, 21% decrease; all low-income households, 10% decrease).

For detail view DYCU Trends Analysis tables in the Appendix.

NA-25 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens – 91.205 (b)(2)

Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the needs of that category of need as a whole.

Introduction

According to the City of Milwaukee’s 2019 Housing Affordability Report, the number and percentage of City households spending 30% or more of their income on housing in 2017 was 45% (or 104,000 households). Nearly half of those households that experience housing cost burden earn less than $20,000/year, and about 74% were considered severely cost-burdened (spending 50% or more on housing).

Below is additional data provided by HUD’s Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) as part of the Consolidated Plan development. Note these figures are the most recent data provided by IDIS.

Table 21 – Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens AMI

Data Source:  2011-2015 CHAS

Discussion

The Wisconsin Policy Forum 2018 report, “The Cost of Living: Milwaukee County’s Rental Housing Trends and Challenges,” found that the rent burden affects African-American households at twice the rate of white households in Milwaukee County. This is also demonstrated in the data above, with Blacks making up 41% of households that are paying 30-50% of their income towards housing, and 51% of those that are paying more than 50% of their income.

Data You Can Use (DYCU) also examined housing cost burden trends, finding that since the previous Consolidated Plan, slightly fewer households (-4%) as a whole have housing costs of between 30-50% of their income, but there was an 8% increase in the number of households paying over 50% of their income towards housing. The number of non-white households paying 30-50%, or over 50% of their income for housing has increased. For example:

• Since 2010 more Asian (+43%), Native American (+34%), Hispanic (+28%), and Black (+11%) households are paying more than 50% of their income towards housing, while fewer white households are (-8%).
• For those that are paying 30-50% of their income towards housing, more Hispanic households were affected (+21%), with a slight increase for Black and Asian households (+3%). More white households decreased their housing cost burden in this range over the same time period (-17%).

Interestingly, all non-white household groups also saw increases in the number of people who reduced their housing cost burden, paying less than 30% of their income towards housing (Hispanic, +20%; Black, +9%; Asian, +7%), while there was a 12% decrease in the number of white households.

For detail view DYCU Trends Analysis tables in the Appendix.

NA-30 Disproportionately Greater Need: Discussion – 91.205(b)(2)

Are there any Income categories in which a racial or ethnic group has disproportionately greater need than the needs of that income category as a whole?

To the extent that any racial or ethnic group has a disproportionately greater need for any income category in comparison to the needs of that category as a whole, the jurisdiction must provide an assessment of that specific need. For this purpose, disproportionately greater need exists when the percentage of persons in a category of need who are members of a particular racial or ethnic group is at least ten percentage points higher than the percentage of persons in the category as a whole.

According to the 2011-2015 CHAS data, a total of 48,825 households have one of more of four housing problems, with 26,185 Black/African-American households at 0-30% of Area Median Income (AMI) experiencing one or more of four housing problems. Blacks have a disproportionate greater need as this represents 54% of the category as a whole. As discussed in previous sections on disproportionate need, this is a trend that is increasing over time. Four housing problems are: 1) lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2) lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3) more than one person per room, 4) cost burden greater than 30% of income.

If they have needs not identified above, what are those needs?

African-American households also experience higher rates of housing cost burden, making up 41% of households that are paying 30-50% of their income towards housing, and 51% of those that are paying more than 50% of their income towards housing.

Are any of those racial or ethnic groups located in specific areas or neighborhoods in your community?

The majority of those affected with disproportionate greater need with housing problems are African-Americans who primarily reside in central city north side and far northwest side neighborhoods.

In addition, there are large concentrations of affected populations in the City of Milwaukee’s two Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas (NRSAs), which are Northside and Southside communities where over 70% of the population falls within the HUD-defined low/moderate income category. CDGA defines areas of minority concentration as those census tracts with a minority population of at least 51%.

Many of these neighborhoods are highly segregated, where more than 90% of residents are persons of color (see MKE Indicators Population - Racial and Ethnic Make-up: https://www.datayoucanuse.org/mke-indicators/). These neighborhoods also often have higher rates of extremely- to very-low income households and/or persons living in poverty.

NA-35 Public Housing – 91.205(b)

Introduction

Data in the following tables has been provided by the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) in December 2019.  

Totals in Use

Table 22 - Public Housing by Program Type

*includes Non-Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One-Year, Mainstream Five-year, and Nursing Home Transition

Data Source: PIC (PIH Information Center), verified by HACM

Characteristics of Residents

Table 24 – Characteristics of Public Housing Residents by Program Type

Data Source: PIC (PIH Information Center), verified by HACM

Race of Residents

Table 25 – Race of Public Housing Residents by Program Type

*includes Non-Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One-Year, Mainstream Five-year, and Nursing Home Transition

Data Source: PIC (PIH Information Center), verified by HACM

Ethnicity of Residents

Table 26 – Ethnicity of Public Housing Residents by Program Type

*includes Non-Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One-Year, Mainstream Five-year, and Nursing Home Transition

Data Source: PIC (PIH Information Center), verified by HACM

Section 504 Needs Assessment:

Describe the needs of public housing tenants and applicants on the waiting list for accessible units.

Residents and applicants who have mobility issues and are in need of accessible units face a shortage of homes and/or apartments in both the private market and in public housing that meets their accessibility needs. The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) does have a data field on the waitlist that can identify a need for a mobility accommodation; however, often that is not documented until a resident is pulled off the waitlist to be processed. On the current public housing waitlists, 52 applicants have identified such a need (30 in senior/disabled housing and 22 for family housing).

Most public housing was built in the 1950s to 1970s and has limited accessibility. Since 1990, as major renovations have occurred at public housing developments, HACM has increased the number of apartments that are accessible and/or adaptable for accessibility. At a minimum, HACM has complied with Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) regulations that require a minimum of 5% of units to be accessible for persons with mobility impairments, and 2% for persons with visual/hearing impairments, though HACM may also exceed the requirements for some developments.

Newer or fully remodeled buildings meant for seniors and persons with disabilities such as Highland Gardens, Cherry Court, Convent Hill, Lapham Park, and Olga Village, are 100% accessible and/or adaptable. For example, some units in these buildings have roll-in showers. In newer family developments such as Townhomes at Carver Park, the minimum number of accessible units have also exceeded the minimum.

Of the public housing sites owned by HACM, 43 units are accessible, 73 are accessible/adaptable, and 132 are visitable (no bedroom on the first floor but it has at least a half bathroom on the first floor and an accessible entrance).

Additionally, former public housing developments that have become project-based voucher housing through the Rental Assistance Demonstration program (RAD) and have been recently revitalized, adding 703 units that are accessible for individuals with mobility impairments. In total, 37 are accessible/adaptable, 6 are visitable, and 8 have accessibility for hearing/visually impaired individuals. Since the last Consolidated Plan, the number of people with disabilities receiving housing assistance vouchers has increased by 34%; for seniors, it has increased by 39%.

Most immediate needs of residents of Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher holders:

The most immediate needs of residents living in public housing and choice voucher holders are:

1. Coordination of supportive services would help more seniors and persons with disabilities continue living independently.
2. Assistance with economic self-sufficiency and employment for adults who are able to work. For example, improved access to transportation is a real need – there is an imbalance between the location of affordable housing and the location of jobs and employment centers in the Milwaukee metro area.

How do these needs compare to the housing needs of the population at large:

The needs of households in subsidized housing (public housing and Housing Choice Voucher) largely mirror those of the population at large. As section NA-05 of the Needs Assessment discusses, the City of Milwaukee has poverty and unemployment rates that are higher than the metro area. Households with an annual income at or below $35,000, and particularly those with an annual household income of less than $20,000, are experiencing a severe cost burden as they are currently paying more than 30% of their income to rent, with many paying more than 50%. Housing cost burden, access to jobs with living wages, affordable health care, and social services are critical needs, both for the population at large and households in subsidized housing.

Discussion

The demand for safe, quality affordable housing remains high. In 2016, 35,000 applications were received alone for the Housing Choice Voucher program; an amount that far exceeds the number of available subsidized housing units. Since the 2014-2019 Consolidated Plan, the total number of vouchers has increased by 5.4% while the number of public housing units has decreased by 25%. This reveals that there is a gap in the supply of affordable rental units for both the population at large and those living in public housing.

NA-40 Homeless Needs Assessment – 91.205(c)

Introduction

Milwaukee, like much of the rest of the country, has experienced an increased awareness of homelessness in the City that has been predominantly driven by housing insecurity as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increased visibility of homeless encampments. Those experiencing homelessness usually exhibit more than one of the following characteristics: extremely low income/poverty, large family size, history of eviction, low education, difficulty finding employment that pays a living wage, work only seasonal hours and have difficulty maintaining employment, difficulty finding jobs accessible via public transportation, physical disabilities, physical and/or mental health issues, drug issues, children with special needs, and lack of any support network. Other factors that play a role in homelessness include age, sexual orientation and identity, race/Ethnicity, and history of trauma/abuse.

A core challenge in Milwaukee facing both the homeless and many low-income people is a lack of affordable housing. Since the 2008 housing crisis, the availability of affordable housing units has steadily decreased. Milwaukee housing stock is either aging, which makes it difficult to maintain, is frequently the wrong size, expensive to heat, or as newer units come online, they are generally unaffordable to very low-income tenants. This puts them at increased risk of housing insecurity and homelessness.

Beyond the specific challenge of affordable, quality units, there is also an increased need for services such as case management, financial payees, AODA and mental health resources, homeless appropriate skill development, and employment services. Homeless service providers have specifically raised the point that while there are opportunities to access funds or partner with others to build subsidized, affordable housing, there is not a consistent or stable funding source in the State of Wisconsin to provide the wraparound services that enable those struggling with homelessness to stay in those units.

Additional, ongoing challenges that contribute to housing insecurity and homelessness are excessive screening criteria such as criminal and credit checks for subsidized housing, and landlords unwilling to work with those who have a history of housing instability, asking for excessive security deposits, taking advantage of disadvantaged tenants, discriminating against tenants unaware of fair housing protections, and renting units that are in disrepair, unsanitary, or illegally converted. Milwaukee has a significant population that is spending 50% or more of their income on rent, leaving a small margin of error to cover housing, food, and utilities each month. Large families (four or more children) have very few choices in rental units. Lastly, one financial emergency can easily put a renter at risk of eviction and/or homelessness.

The COVID-19 public health crisis and resulting economic impacts are putting the housing and health of low-income renters at further risk of eviction and/or homelessness. The potential spread of COVID-19 is especially dangerous for those that are experiencing homelessness, housing instability, or overcrowded conditions. It is not currently known how long the effects of this pandemic will last, which will make it that much more difficult for people with very- and extremely low-incomes to meet their basic needs. Milwaukee’s homelessness assistance system (which is already strained), continues to work on how to address increased demand and will need to be more strongly integrated with ongoing public health and economic recovery efforts.

Nature and Extent of Homelessness
If data is not available for the categories "number of persons becoming and exiting homelessness each year," and "number of days that persons experience homelessness," describe these categories for each homeless population type (including chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth).

1. Estimate the number and type of families in need of housing assistance for families with children and the families of veterans. 
2. Describe the Nature and Extent of Homelessness by Racial and Ethnic Group. 
3. Describe the Nature and Extent of Unsheltered and Sheltered Homelessness. 

Discussion:  

Below is a general analysis of the nature and extent of homelessness in Milwaukee by reviewing data provided by the City-County Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and feedback from Continuum of Care (CoC) member providers. Note that Milwaukee’s CoC includes the City and County.

A Note on Data Related to Homelessness:

There are three (3) main sets of data to draw from for this section.

(1) The CAPER, which provides annual program and outcome data, and includes non-housing programs such as Prevention and Street Outreach that are not included in other sources. The most recent CAPER used in this Consolidated Plan covers 10/1/18 to 9/30/19.

(2) The Point In Time (PIT) survey: At least once a year the Milwaukee CoC performs a PIT, which is a count of persons that are living in shelters or who are unsheltered living on the streets or any other place not meant for human habitation. The most recent PIT was completed in January 2020.

(3) The Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) provides important context to how people experience homelessness over time. The most recent LSA available covers 10/1/17 to 9/30/18, as the tracking of long-term case data usually lags behind program data.

To allow for standardization of measurement and comparability over time, this plan draws mostly on data from the CAPER, with Point In Time and LSA as supplementary.

The primary conditions associated with homelessness are well documented and not unique to Milwaukee. The general consensus among CoC service providers is that these conditions are primarily low income, lack of affordable housing, alcohol and drug abuse, mental health considerations, lack of employment, age, sexual orientation and identity, unstable employment (eg. seasonal, temporary, on-demand, etc) and low education. The challenges of unstable employment have only worsened since COVID-19.

A total of 11,218 clients were served by the Continuum of Care from 10/1/18 to 9/30/19.

• 2,917 were under the age of 18
• 1,457 were veterans
• 1,101 were chronically homeless
• 7,931 were adult heads of households (i.e. requesting services for more than one person, a family unit)

Nearly half (48%) of the people receiving services were in Emergency Shelters or Transitional Housing, with another 29% receiving Rapid Re-Housing or Permanent Supportive Housing services. Prevention services accounted for 11% of people receiving services, with Street Outreach and Safe Haven making up the remainder at nearly 12%.

From a systems perspective, data from the Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) for 10/1/17 to 9/30/18 tells us that the total number of people served during that year was 6,373 in Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, Rapid Re-Housing, or Permanent Supportive Housing programs. They experienced homelessness for an average of 55 days, and 31% exited to a permanent supportive housing destination. The three-year trend in terms of people exiting homelessness to a permanent destination averages 30-45%. Again, note the LSA does not include people receiving services via Street Outreach, Safe Haven, or Prevention.

Number of Clients Served

Data Source: Milwaukee HMIS ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19)

Age of Clients Served

Although most people experiencing homelessness are older adults, it is important to note that about 26% of those receiving services were under the age of 17.

Data Source: Milwaukee HMIS ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19)

Gender of Adults Served

Information collected from Continuum of Care services providers noted that for the most part, people who experience homelessness are male, which is supported by the data below.

Data Source: Milwaukee HMIS ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19)

Estimate the number and type of families in need of housing assistance for families with children and the families of veterans.

Housing Assistance for Families with Children

According to the ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19), out of a total 8,327 households receiving services from the Continuum of Care (CoC), there were 1,071 households with children and adults (12.9%), and 378 households (4.5%) comprised of only children. Additionally, the January 2020 Point In Time survey counted 65 households (at least 1 adult and 1 child) out of a total of 797 households (8.2%), a similar trend. According to the CAPER, out of the total number of people receiving services (11,218), 26% were under the age of 17.

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) also tracks students that are at risk for homelessness or experiencing housing insecurity. In the 2018-2019 school year, they identified 5,270 students at risk, or about 6.95% out of a total enrollment of 75,081 students. MPS has a Homeless Education Program, which works to connect families to needed resources should they experience housing insecurity; their identification rate is 6%+ higher than the national average. One of the strongest tools they have to identify need is when a family requests out-of-region transportation to get to school when their housing situation changes. An early impact of COVID-19 and the closure of schools means that the program is not able to connect with families as directly as they could. This is currently a key gap in the system’s ability to identify families with children who may be experiencing homelessness.

The various data points align with feedback from the CoC and data from the 2019 City of Milwaukee Housing Affordability Report, which brings to light the shortage of affordable housing for families in the City and the difficulty in finding shelter and/or a permanent housing destination. Tangentially, there were no families classified as chronically homeless in the January 2020 Point In Time survey conducted by the CoC.

However, by mid-2020 Milwaukee has begun to see visible signs of the effects of the COVID-19 public health pandemic, with street outreach teams reporting more incidences of family homelessness.

Households Served

Data Source: Milwaukee HMIS ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19)

Housing Assistance for Families of Veterans

According to the ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19), out of the total number of people receiving services from the Milwaukee Continuum of Care (Coc), 1,457, or 13% were veterans. The January 2020 Point In Time Survey found 104 Veterans (5.7%) of a total of 970 persons that day were in need of homeless services; most of them were male and sheltered.

Feedback from service providers and task force members note that while access to housing is a challenge, access to support services for veterans is just as important. Particular needs include more resources for female and transgender veterans, and HUD/VASH vouchers are sometimes not enough to cover rent over the long-term, putting housing stability at risk again. Additional information on the needs of Veterans is also discussed in the Non-Homeless Special Needs section (NA-45).

Lastly, it is important to note that not all veterans-serving organizations are members of the CoC or report into the City-County HMIS. Many opt to focus on private funding sources so as not to exclude any veteran from services. Organizations such as DryHootch, Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative (MHVI), Vets Place Central are not members of the CoC. For example, the MHVI Outreach Program reached over 300 veterans and connected them to services, and served 350 veterans with case management services via their Crisis Management program (2018 Annual Report).

Nature and Extent of Homelessness by Racial & Ethnic Group

The race/Ethnicity of the largest groups experiencing homelessness in Milwaukee are those identifying as Black/African-Americans at 68%, those identifying as Whites at 26%, and those identifying as Hispanic/Latino at 9% (ESG CAPER 10/1/18 to 9/30/19).

This aligns with January 2020 Point In Time survey data, which found 62% of persons counted were Black/African-American, 32% were White, 3.9% identified as Multiple Races, 1.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.6% as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Island, 0.3% as Asian, and 9.9% identified as Hispanic/Latino.

Blacks are vastly overrepresented based on the percentage of the general population, which was also included in feedback from Continuum of Care service providers. The charts below show the makeup of clients by race/Ethnicity for each program area.

Race of Clients Served

Data Source: Milwaukee HMIS ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19)

Ethnicity of Clients Served

Data Source: Milwaukee HMIS ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19)

Homeless vs General Population

The following table also compares the race/Ethnicity of clients in the homeless services system to the demographics of Milwaukee County, further demonstrating the overrepresentation of Blacks/African-Americans in the homeless population.

Data Source: Institute for Community Alliances / Milwaukee HMIS (10/1/18 to 9/30/19)

Nature and Extent of Unsheltered and Sheltered Homelessness

To summarize demographic and program data from the 2018-2019 Milwaukee HMIS ESG CAPER report, 11,218 people experienced homelessness and are:

• Most adults (74%), with 17% ages 45-54, 15% ages 25-34, 14% ages 55-61, and 13% ages 35-41.
• 68% are Black/African American, with those identifying as Whites at 26%, and those identifying as Hispanic/Latino at 9%.
• Most identify as Male (68.5%).
• 13% of households served included at least one child.
• 1,101 people (nearly 10%) are categorized as chronically homeless.
• About 13% are Veterans.
• Nearly half (48%) of the people receiving services were in Emergency Shelters or Transitional Housing.
• Another 29% received Rapid Re-Housing or Permanent Supportive Housing services.

Additionally, Milwaukee Continuum of Care (CoC) service providers reiterated that most of the people they serve are single males and Black/African-American; and when it comes to youth homelessness, the majority are unsheltered but not necessarily on the streets, so are not often tracked as “homeless” by HUD definition.

POINT IN TIME SURVEY

This annual survey provides another snapshot of homelessness in Milwaukee. The count is intended to include persons that are homeless and are living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe havens for the homeless, domestic violence shelters, or who are unsheltered living on the streets or any other place not meant for human habitation. In 2020, the Point In Time methodology was adjusted to count guests at warming rooms as sheltered rather than unsheltered, which is where they were traditionally counted.

Data from the January 2020 Point In Time count is summarized in the table below; which aligns with data in the 2018-2019 ESG CAPER. The majority of people counted in the survey are sheltered (91%) and about 18% of people (sheltered and unsheltered) were under the age of 18. Nearly 83% of those that are unsheltered have a serious mental illness or a substance use disorder, and 7.5% of all people counted are considered chronically homeless.

Data Source: Milwaukee Continuum of Care 2020 Point in Time Survey

OTHER ISSUES IMPACTING HOUSING STABILITY

The 2018-2019 ESG CAPER report provides additional detail on issues that can impact a person’s housing security. Below is an assessment of related data on a number of issues Continuum of Care (CoC) service providers indicated were often connected to a homelessness experience.

Housing Status: Prior to receiving services, nearly 48% (4,121 people) were literally homeless, meaning they were living in a place not meant for habitation. Other than that, the most prevalent types of former living situations for people experiencing homelessness include:

Data Source: Milwaukee HMIS ESG CAPER (10/1/18 to 9/30/19)

Length of Homelessness: Milwaukee CoC service providers also track the length of time that a person experiences homelessness prior to receiving assistance. In the 2018-2019 ESG CAPER, most people (nearly 30%) shared that their episode of homelessness was 1 week or less; the next highest was 2-6 months at 19.9%. The data also shows that 20.5% of people in our community experienced homelessness for six months or longer.