County Board Votes to Implement Eviction Reduction Plan
"In Milwaukee County we are moving beyond talk and into real action to confront the eviction crisis head on."
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors took action to implement Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic‘s eviction prevention plan today, by authorizing (16 – 0) the Housing Division to set aside $200,000 to launch the project.
“In Milwaukee County we are moving beyond talk and into real action to confront the eviction crisis head on. We are dedicating new resources to prevent evictions, keep our residents in safe housing when threatened with eviction, and double the capacity for legal defense when it is needed. Our bold, comprehensive approach will help stop the traumatic cycle that starts with an eviction,” said Dimitrijevic.
Dimitrijevic’s Housing Opportunities and Minimizing Evictions for Stabilization (HOMES) legislation employs a three part strategy of prevention, mitigation, and legal representation: a full-time staff person dedicated to working with landlords and tenants to prevent eviction, a Housing Stabilization Fund to help tenants bridge the financial gap that often leads to eviction proceedings, and sufficient resources to double the capacity of the Eviction Defense Project, a legal services clinic operated by Legal Action, Inc. at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
“Educating landlords and tenants to resolve disputes before they end up in court will significantly reduce the number of evictions in Milwaukee and save Milwaukee County money in court costs and lost economic opportunity,” said Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson.
“I’d like to thank Sup. Dimitrijevic for her leadership in helping Milwaukee County residents stay in stable housing, even if they hit a rough patch. The HOMES program is one part of our countywide efforts to address our housing needs – a challenge we can tackle when we work together,” said County Executive Chris Abele.
Long term funding for the HOMES program will be generated by the sale of county-owned foreclosed properties through the Opportunity Knocks program.
The Housing Division’s Opportunity Knocks program provides skills development for inmates at the House of Corrections, who will rehab foreclosed homes prior to their sale.
About 13,000 evictions are filled in Milwaukee County each year. Fewer than 1% of tenants facing eviction in the county are represented by counsel, compared to 50% of landlords.
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.
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