Common Ground Expands Campaign Against City Housing Authority

Westlawn Gardens. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Common Ground, a broad-based coalition, isn’t backing down on its Tenants United campaign against the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM).

Launched in March, the campaign targets the alleged poor conditions, bad management and retaliatory behavior within the public housing agency. It has now been expanded to include allegations of “negligence around rent collection and their utter disregard for the emotional stress and economic hardship this is causing residents.” That includes wrongful late fees, “lost” payments, erroneous back rent charges and myriad other issues.

The group held a follow-up event Monday night at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, 1345 W. Burleigh St., to air its latest claims and publicly call for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to audit HACM.

“Knowing that your system is erroneously charging late fees and not doing anything about it, that’s stealing,” said pastor Will Davis of Invisible Reality Ministries and a Common Ground executive team member.

The housing authority provides housing to approximately 5,000 households in its own properties and, with federal vouchers, houses an additional 6,000 households in privately-owned properties.

HACM, in a statement, said it is addressing issues.

“We are aware of issues raised by residents, many of which have been resolved, and others that we have been actively working to address with the resources we have available. When other matters are brought to our attention, we will address them as well,” said the agency in a statement issued shortly after the meeting. “HACM has a substantial number of monitoring, compliance, evaluation, and enforcement requirements already in place. Our Board of Commissioners, which includes resident representation and local leaders in community development, provides governance. In addition, our funders, who provide critical financial and technical support, provide oversight.”

On June 30, Common Ground sent a detailed report to HUD Regional Administrator Diane Shelley asking for an investigation. It also invited her to speak at the meeting, but would have required her to answer a yes-or-no question on stage as to whether HUD would conduct an audit. Shelley declined.

“HUD’s priority is the health and safety of HUD-assisted residents, and that they are treated with dignity and respect. HUD takes its oversight responsibility seriously,” said Shelley in a statement sent to Urban Milwaukee Tuesday. “Since 2019, HUD staff have been engaged with the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee regarding the public housing and housing choice voucher program and have actively been working with HACM to correct course.”

“RA Shelley doesn’t care about us. She is refusing to investigate HACM despite all the documented cases we’ve brought to her attention — overcharging, bogus late fees, ‘lost’ payments,” said Mitchell Court resident Roye “Chris” Logan, in a statement issued alongside Monday evening’s event. “These rent stories are the tip of the iceberg. This is system-wide.”

But Shelley’s comments don’t include an outright refusal.

“We know there is work to be done and we will continue to work in partnership with the residents and the housing authority to realize more positive change,” said the federal administrator.

The Common Ground members said they remain undeterred by HACM’s power. “We know how to hold businesses and government accountable,” said strategy team volunteer member Jonathan Gundlach at the March unveiling, citing past successes securing $33.8 million from banks to support home renovations in the Sherman Park neighborhood, creating a health insurance cooperative that participates in the Affordable Care Act and working on other efforts like gun safety and school facilities.

Logan is maintaining his focus on HACM Secretary-Executive Director Willie Hines, Jr. as the linchpin for any change. “Do your job,” he said Monday.

Hines grew up in HACM housing. He was chairman of the authority’s board from 1998 through 2014, when he resigned both his Common Council seat and board position to become HACM’s associate director. He became acting director in 2021 when longtime director Antonio (Tony) M. Pérez went on leave for an undisclosed medical condition. Hines was given the job by the board on a permanent basis starting in March 2022. Mayor Cavalier Johnson appoints the board, with council confirmation, but does not appoint the executive director.

At least three council members, led by Council President José G. Pérez, previously publicly pledged their support for accountability and an investigation. “We’re committed to you,” said Pérez at the March kickoff event.

Common Ground Southeastern Wisconsin, which boasts 40,000 citizen members, says it has interviewed or collected information from more than 1,300 HACM residents across 20 properties since 2020.

A copy of the records sent to HUD is available on Urban Milwaukee.