Northwestern Mutual Investment Will Seed Construction of 90 Homes
Affordable housing effort targeted at Amani neighborhood.
The 3300 block of N. 26th Street in the Amani neighborhood. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Northwestern Mutual is providing an initial funding commitment as part of an effort to see more than 90 homes constructed in Milwaukee’s Amani neighborhood.
The insurance company announced Tuesday a commitment of more than $3 million over three years to fund construction of the homes.
“Northwestern Mutual has called Milwaukee home for 168 years, and ensuring our city thrives remains at the core of our mission,” said Steve Radke, Northwestern Mutual Foundation president, in a statement. “Our increased support for Amani — where we’re helping fund the construction of more than 90 affordable homes — builds on longstanding partnerships in this neighborhood. By also investing in Metcalfe Park and Muskego Way, we’re strengthening Milwaukee’s neighborhoods and driving revitalization and expanded homeownership across the city.”
The homes will be built on vacant lots in and around the Amani neighborhood, one of the city’s most impoverished. The neighborhood is anchored by Moody Park, with the intersection of N. 24th Place and W. Locust Street serving as its center.
Northwestern Mutual’s investment will provide funding for a partnership that includes Emem Group, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, Ezekiel HOPE, the Dominican Center, Amani United, Milwaukee Community Crossroads and the Community Development Alliance.
The project is part of a larger, multi-decade effort by the Community Development Alliance (CDA) to close the city’s racial housing gap and create 32,000 new Black and Brown homeowners.
A tax incremental financing (TIF) district would be created to leverage future property tax revenue from the homes to fill a financing gap in their construction. A similar structure, described as a “backbone TIF” by CDA, was previously put in place in the Midtown (2024) and Harambee (2025) neighborhoods. Emem and Habitat were partners on those efforts.
“Amani is my first home,” said Michael Emem, president and CEO of Emem Group. “That personal connection drives my dedication to creating opportunities for families to plant roots and build a future here. I am grateful for partners like Northwestern Mutual who share in the commitment to expanding access to affordable homeownership across Milwaukee.”
Emem Group is working to secure additional funding, including low-income housing tax credits, to fund its portion of the Amani project.
Northwestern Mutual, in 2019, funded a pilot initiative to restore homes on the 2900 block of N. 26th Street in the Amani neighborhood. It provided additional funding in 2022.
Pictured (from back left to right) – Orlando Acevedo, Construction Manager, Milwaukee Community Crossroads; Al Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity; Tish Franklin, Assistant Director of Philanthropy Programs, Northwestern Mutual; Michael Emem, President & CEO, Emem Group. Third row: Steve Radke, Vice President of Government & Community Relations and President of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Cordella Jones, Resident Collaboration Director, Community Development Alliance. Second row: Amanda Clark, Housing & Outreach Manager, Dominican Center; Elizabeth Brown, President, Amani United. Front row: Jake Weiler, Director of Housing, Milwaukee Community Crossroads; Oby Nwabuzor, Founder & Principal, Envision Growth; Britney Roberson, Executive Director, Dominican Center. Photo by Todd Dacquisto
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