Council Rejects Unusual Affordable Housing Proposal

7976-7992 N. 107th St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The Milwaukee Common Council overwhelmingly rejected a proposal Tuesday that would have enabled the conversion of two northwest side apartment complexes into income-restricted affordable housing, siding with area Alderwoman Larresa Taylor over objections from Ald. Alex Brower.

The measure failed on a 14-1 vote, with Brower casting the lone dissent.

The proposal from California-based Post Real Estate Group and Bedford Affordable Housing Foundation sought a city endorsement in order to access $86.5 million in tax-exempt bonds to acquire and convert two apartment complexes, the 236-unit St. James Place, 10000 W. Fountain Ave., and the 138-unit Arbor Ridge, 7900 N. 107th St., into federally recognized affordable housing developments.

The city would not have been financially liable for the bonds, but council approval was required before the state-affiliated Public Finance Authority could issue them.

Brower used the debate to criticize the council’s longstanding practice of aldermanic privilege while arguing that Milwaukee needs all the affordable housing it can create.

“I want to go on record saying that I want us as a body, as a city, to take every single opportunity that we can to adopt and acquire and have within city limits affordable housing,” said Brower. “The housing crisis right now in the city is spiraling out of control.”

The East Side and Riverwest alderman said the situation could worsen because of the war with Iran and other Trump administration policies. He also noted that he is working with a developer on affordable housing in his own district.

Brower, a Democratic Socialist, said broader structural changes were needed to address housing instability and problem landlords, including “eliminating capitalism.”

But Ald. Robert Bauman, who chairs the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee, said the council had received little information about the developer or its plans.

“We have no idea what this buyer was planning to do with these properties,” said Bauman. “They never came to Milwaukee. They appeared virtually. They never met with the local alderman. There was never a town hall meeting. There was never any community input.”

“We have seen these out-of-state schemes before, where there is a nonprofit front, but behind that front is a corporately owned and operated real estate investment enterprise,” he added.

Bauman said the company could still pursue the acquisition through a different financing structure.

Taylor defended her opposition to the proposal, saying she was elected to represent District 9 residents and said the existing apartment complexes are already well maintained.

“I will not go over into District 3 and tell them what they need to do for their district,” said Taylor. “I was hired to represent District 9.”

Brower responded directly to the aldermanic privilege argument.

“I don’t agree with that concept,” he said. “I think we should look at things and act in a united way.”

While saying the company should still be scrutinized, Brower reiterated his support for expanding affordable housing opportunities citywide.

“The entire city is an ecosystem,” said Brower. “It exists in an interdependence with each particular part of it.”

“We don’t exist in a vacuum with an impenetrable border wall on 60th Street with Wauwatosa,” he said. “For us to believe we are 15 different municipalities with one administrative building in the middle of the city, I don’t agree with that concept … While representing our constituents, we should all consider the breadth of the entire city, metro area, country and world in every single vote that we take.”

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