Mayor, Common Council Overhauling Housing Authority Board

College Court housing complex, Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

By the end of November, the majority of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) board could be new faces.

The beleaguered public housing agency has been the source of scorn from residents and Common Ground Southeastern Wisconsin, which launched a campaign against the agency in March 2023, while leaving City Hall officials frustrated.

The Common Council confirmed the first new member to HCAM’s board last week, and the council’s most powerful committee endorsed three new members Monday, queuing them up for late November formal approval. Additionally, the board’s acting chair Brooke VandeBerg, who is serving with an expired term, withdrew from the renomination process and Mayor Cavalier Johnson rescinded her renomination.

The citizen-led board governs the agency, which is city-affiliated, but largely funded by the federal government and subject to its oversight. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) currently has the agency under a corrective action plan and labeled some of its practices “at risk for serious fraud, waste and abuse.”

For the first time in several years, the board is poised to return to full strength with seven members. The new members have pledged to perform a fair review of the agency, including its Secretary-Executive Director Willie Hines, Jr.

The new members include Karen Gotzler, a Milwaukee resident who has consulted for housing authorities in other cities, Charlotte Hayslett, a human resources consultant and former HACM resident and employee, Jackie Burrell, a resident and community leader at HACM’s Westlawn Gardens complex and Alderwoman Sharlen P. Moore.

“I think there is much more to be done,” Gotzler said in her Oct. 21 nomination hearing. “The Housing Authority has a long way to go to meet its mission.”

Gotzler, as Urban Milwaukee has observed, has already attended several board meetings and has been taking notes.

“I am looking forward to bringing best practices and suggestions to the current commission,” she told the committee.

Gotzler said she would like to see more communication between the commission and HUD, which has primarily communicated with HACM’s administrative employees. She’s also keen to improve properties. “It’s very clear we have some unaddressed health and safety issues at properties and those need to be first and foremost,” she said.

The council unanimously approved her appointment on Nov. 6.

Monday, her three potential new colleagues gained unanimous endorsements from the Steering & Rules Committee.

“I want my voice as well as the residents’ voices to be heard,” said Burrell, who serves as president of the Westlawn resident council. “Work needs to be done.”

Ald. Robert Bauman and other council members said they wanted her feedback on the conditions of properties.

“Maintenance to me is whack,” said Burrell. “Something needs to be done; we need to do something right quick.”

“I think you’re a breath of fresh air,” said Council President José G. Pérez.

She’ll be joined by Hayslett, a former HACM resident and housing operations assistant.

“I am here because I am ready to jump in and put action in place,” she said. “I refuse to believe that we bring in political conventions to Milwaukee, all of this attention, and we can’t take care of residents in our backyard.”

She said a review of Hines, who Common Ground has called for the board to fire, is “mandatory.”

“You guys run the show. Please do not relinquish your power, please,” Pérez told the board members.

“I’m proud and happy to see this occur,” said Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II. “We have high hopes for you guys for significant improvement.”

The new members will be joined by a council member.

Moore, first elected in April, would replace VandeBerg. “I want to thank the Mayor’s Office for just trusting me to be appointed to this position,” she said. “One of the reasons I was interested first and foremost in this position is because I love people.”

Johnson previously appointed Ald. Milele A. Coggs and Rep. Kalan Haywood II in 2022, but both needed to resign because of affiliation with the Democratic Party. State statute prohibits “official capacity” affiliation with a political party for board members.

“I want to thank you so much for making that sacrifice to do the work,” said Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa of Moore’s action to resign from the party. Council members are formally nonpartisan, but many are affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Commission members are appointed to five-year terms and serve without compensation. Board members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the council.

Existing HACM board members include Darian Luckett, Irma Yépez Klassen and Sherri Reed Daniels. Each of their terms expires in 2027.

Multi-decade member Mark Wagner, who had served as chair since 2014, passed away in August. Reed Daniels, a HACM resident, was elected chair in September, but has attended meetings virtually and passed the gavel to VandeBerg.

VandeBerg, an Associated Bank vice president and former city employee, saw her term expire in November 2023. She was initially renominated by Johnson, but withdrew in mid-October after several contentious board meetings.

The new members said they want to hear more from the public, including HACM residents. Several of them said they wish to see a public comment period added to the board meetings. “I think the most important thing the commission can do is go and meet with residents,” said Gotzler.

Common Ground endorsed the new slate, but isn’t giving up its campaign. Its members attended all of the nomination hearings.

“Getting a full board with new, reform-minded, active leadership is step one. Getting new leadership in top positions at the Housing Authority is the next step,” said Common Ground lead organizer Jennifer O’Hear in a statement.  “We call on Mayor Johnson to capitalize on this positive momentum and work with the Board to replace HACM’s current leadership.”

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