The City of Milwaukee will receive $394 million from the federal government to help our community recover from COVID-19. The plan is called the American Rescue Plan (ARP), and a portion of the funds could be directed towards stable and affordable housing. The city has released a community survey to gain input on how these funds should be utilized.
This could a be generational opportunity to invest in affordable homeownership and critical repair in our city, but we need your help. Please fill out this survey and advocate for an investment in Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity’s critical work to combat our city’s affordable housing crisis. You do not need to be a city resident to fill out the survey. Your voice could influence the future of countless Milwaukee families and entire neighborhoods. Make your voice heard now, complete the survey.
We encourage you to personalize your message. Share with local officials why housing investments must be included in the upcoming recovery package.
Copy & paste into the “What else would help the city of Milwaukee be the best it can be?” field.
| As your community member and a Habitat for Humanity supporter, I urge you to prioritize housing investments that increase affordable homeownership opportunities, spark the revitalization of neighborhoods and help low-income families rebuild and prosper, as part of the American Rescue Plan. The pandemic has exacerbated a pre-existing housing affordability crisis where currently one in three Milwaukee renters spend half or more of their income on housing. At the same time, many long-disinvested communities are being weighed down by deteriorating housing stock and abandoned properties. Systemic inequalities of redlining and housing disparities have shaped these communities where, in the four-county metro Milwaukee area, nearly three out of four Black families do not own the home they live in, while nearly three out of four white families do. By prioritizing investment in Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, these crucial funds will combat our city’s racial homeownership gap, while helping local families build generational wealth. U.S. homeowners have an average net wealth that is 400% higher than that of renters with similar demographics and earnings. These investments not only help break a cycle of poverty housing, but benefit entire communities through reductions in crime, increases in property values and additional tax income. In 2020 alone, Milwaukee Habitat homeowners paid more than $872,000 in property taxes. I strongly encourage you to direct American Rescue Plan funds towards Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity’s critical work to build and repair affordable homes in our community. The need in our community is overwhelming and the impact will last generations. |
