The Issue: Housing Affordability
Families in Milwaukee and all across the United States are paying too high a price to cover the cost of their home. Rent and homeownership costs are skyrocketing, while wages are not keeping pace. Since 1990, home prices in the US have increased six times faster than wages, making it significantly harder for first-time buyers to purchase a home. At Habitat for Humanity, we believe that everyone deserves a decent and affordable place to live.
Together, We Build
Step into the homes of three local families who partnered with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity to invest in the stability and equity of homeownership. Hear first-hand how their investment in homeownership helped build generational wealth and create physical and financial stability for their families.
1 in 3 Milwaukee renters pay half or more of their income on housing
That means that 1 in 3 families are denied the personal and economic stability that decent and affordable housing provides.
This makes it difficult to save money for the future, emergencies, or a home. In fact, 92% of renters average just $1500 in savings, making a down payment on their first home nearly impossible.
History of Affordable Housing
The roots of Milwaukee’s housing challenges run deep. Before the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, mortgage lenders systematically denied loans to individuals in core urban and predominantly Black neighborhoods by marking these areas with red lines, a practice known as redlining. The impact of that discrimination is still felt today. In Milwaukee, more than half of white families own the home they live in, while only about a quarter of Black families own the home they live in.
The rapid urban growth of Milwaukee in the early 1900s led to to overcrowded living conditions and a shortage of affordable housing, prompting the construction of many homes. Many of those homes are still in use today, requiring costly repairs that make affordable, quality housing scarce.
Milwaukee Habitat’s Affordable Homeownership program helps address these challenges by offering first-time homebuyers the opportunity to build a brand new, 3 to 4 bedroom home and pay an affordable mortgage. Read more below on how we are bringing affordable homeownership to Milwaukee:
By 2028, Milwaukee Habitat aims to build 40 homes and complete 80-100 critical home repair projects per year.
In 2025, Milwaukee Habitat plans to:
- build 34 New Construction Homes for first-time home buyers
- complete 115-130 Critical Home Repair Projects for existing homeowners
Give a gift online by clicking here or mail to Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, 3726 N. Booth St, Milwaukee, WI 53212
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Volunteer opportunities in our ReStores, on our build sites, and more! Click here for details.
Homeownership and Home Repair opportunities now available! Click here to see if you qualify!
Donations of real estate may provide significant tax savings. Click here to learn more!