Milwaukee Needs Bold Leadership to Solve the Housing Crisis

River Trail Commons. Rendering The Kuabala Washatko Architects.

Milwaukee, like most of America, is facing a housing crisis. Rents are soaring, affordable housing is scarce, and our city’s zoning laws are stifling the types of housing that our communities desperately need. What we need now is bold leadership—leaders who are ready to face difficult truths and make hard choices, even in the face of pushback.

Outgoing Ford Foundation President Darren Walker put it best: “We need leaders who manifest a moral capacity to embrace the nuance and complexity to which we’ve become allergic, come what may — to take a stand for progress, even if incremental or imperfect.” That sentiment captures exactly what is required to tackle Milwaukee’s housing crisis: the courage to embrace complexity and move forward with solutions that may not satisfy everyone but will undeniably benefit our city.

The Reality of Our Housing Crisis  

The data is clear: allowing more homes types and more choices will help lower housing cost and meet people’s needs. Current zoning restrictions drive up the cost of housing and block the creation of housing types that our community wants. Duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings—forms of housing that have historically provided affordability and stability—are outlawed in large swaths of Milwaukee under today’s zoning rules. This doesn’t just hurt those seeking affordable housing; it perpetuates a system that favors exclusivity over inclusion.

The Consequences of Waiting Too Long

Across the country, cities that delayed updating their zoning codes have seen the unintended consequences of inaction. By the time reforms were enacted, housing inventories were so low and demand so high that prices skyrocketed, and underserved communities bore the brunt of displacement and gentrification. The very harm these cities sought to prevent—pushing people out of their neighborhoods—was made worse by their reluctance to act.

Milwaukee must learn from these cautionary tales. Delaying zoning reform like Growing MKE will only exacerbate our housing crisis, leaving too many families without affordable options and driving prices even higher. Reform is not about putting undue burden on any single neighborhood or dismissing concerns—it’s about acknowledging that the status quo is unsustainable. Without meaningful action to allow more homes, we risk perpetuating the very harm we wish to avoid.

Milwaukee’s leaders have a choice: act now to open up our city to diverse housing options or continue down a path that restricts growth and harms the communities we are trying to protect.

The Call for Bold Leadership

Milwaukee needs leaders who will acknowledge the truth: we have a housing crisis, and zoning reform can help. Leaders who will be bold enough to defend this position, even when it means having difficult conversations. Leaders who understand that progress doesn’t happen without pushback.

Yes, Growing MKE may not be perfect. No solution ever is. But the cost of inaction is too high. It is time for bold leadership to step up and deliver the policies Milwaukee needs to build a more inclusive and prosperous future for everyone.

Montavius Jones, Principal Narvarte Development and Alex Rodriguez of Community First.