Ald. Bauman proposes 2024 budget amendment to support HACM maintenance

Alderman Robert J. Bauman said he is proposing a 2024 City budget amendment to support the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) after tenants of properties owned and managed by HACM reported that significant, re-occurring maintenance issues go unresolved for unacceptable periods.

Alderman Bauman said his amendment will create the Housing Authority Maintenance Fund, to be administered by the Community Development Grant Administration within the Department of Administration, for the purposes of improving maintenance at HACM-owned and managed properties. This amendment removes $2,500,000 in funding from the One Milwaukee Citizen Led Transformational Fund Special Purpose Account. The Common Council recently adopted Council file #230571, which allows the Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) to monitor and inspect HACM properties, and removes a provision in the City Code exempting HACM properties from municipal re-inspection fees.

“My goal for this amendment is to address the significant backlog of repair and maintenance issues plaguing HACM properties, especially the older senior high rise buildings. We have heard from our constituents who reside at these buildings,” Alderman Bauman said. “Hopefully my colleagues will agree that this one time infusion of resources will go a long way to improve living conditions.”

The Common Council voted unanimously on October 10 to place the Housing Authority under the city’s jurisdiction because of certain unacceptable living conditions for residents using housing vouchers. DNS is assuming responsibility for overseeing HACM, strengthening accountability and the inspection process.

The Finance and Personnel Committee will take up this amendment and other Council amendments to the 2024 budget when it meets at 9 a.m. on Thursday (October 26) in room 301-B at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St. The committee’s deliberations will continue on Friday, October 27 if needed. Thursday’s meeting will be televised live on the City Channel (channel 25 on Spectrum Cable and channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse in the City of Milwaukee) and via streaming video on the city website at city.milwaukee.gov/Channel25

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.