Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Signs Legislation Approving $1 Million for Affordable and Emergency Housing

MILWAUKEE – Today, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed File #24-107, legislation approving $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for a new affordable and emergency housing development in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. County Executive Crowley was joined by members of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, representatives from the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the project’s developers, and local housing advocates.

“As we keep working to expand affordable housing options across Milwaukee County, we must ensure that people experiencing emergency housing situations and dealing with trauma can access the help and support they need. This is a meaningful development project that will bring together critical services to ‘bridge the gap’ between housing insecurity and behavioral health needs,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “Together, let’s continue expanding equitable access to safe, quality, and affordable housing and pursuing our shared vision of making Milwaukee County the healthiest county in Wisconsin.”

“Milwaukee County is committed to addressing the pressing challenges in our community, especially housing insecurity and equitable access to quality mental health care. My hope is for this initiative to serve as a blueprint that can be replicated,” said Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson. “By integrating supportive services with affordable-rate housing, we’re pooling our resources in a way that will help the people who need it most.”

KG Development Group is developing a 41-unit affordable housing community at 2436 N. 50th St. in the City of Milwaukee. The project will include 20 units dedicated to crisis housing beds for people experiencing emergency housing situations and dealing with trauma. The remaining 21 units will be affordable-rate housing, with eight of the units receiving project-based vouchers from DHHS Housing Services. DHHS Behavioral Health Services will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) to seek a partner that will provide on-site supportive services for residents.

“This project is an example of multiple DHHS service areas working collaboratively to ensure there is ‘no wrong door’ to accessing person-centered care, addressing root causes, and a strong investment in community health,” said Shakita LaGrant-McClain, DHHS Executive Director. “I would like to commend our team in Housing Services and Behavioral Health Services for their commitment to our residents and work to advance our vision of, together, creating healthy communities.”

This will be the first project in the State of Wisconsin to merge crisis beds and supportive services with permanent affordable-rate housing. Milwaukee County’s financial backing for the development is possible through federal ARPA dollars received from the Biden-Harris Administration and supported by members of Wisconsin’s Congressional Delegation, including U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Representative Gwen Moore.

Renderings of the development are available upon request.

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.