Virtual Housing Resource Fair will take place Saturday, November 21

Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, will host the annual Housing Resource Fair set to take place this Saturday, November 21^st from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This year’s event will primarily be virtual in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and will include virtual workshops, question and answer sessions, as well as a drive-up component.

“This year more than ever we wanted to make sure valuable housing resource information can be shared with residents in an easy and accessible manner. I want to thank all the partners who have helped make this year’s virtual resource fair a reality, and I urge residents to take advantage of the event,” said Alderwoman Coggs.

There will be three virtual workshops during the day intended to address a variety of housing related issues. The first is a Credit Workshop at 10:30 a.m. Whether you are interested in buying a home or already own a home, building a solid credit history is important.   This workshop will help you learn the factors that go into your credit score and how to improve them. If you have had challenges in the past, learn how to repair your credit. Representatives from Associated Bank and Bank On Greater Milwaukee will provide helpful information and advice on understanding and improving your credit.

The second workshop is COVID-19 Resources at 11:30 a.m. Here homeowners will get advice on how to contact your mortgage lender to request payment deferments, hear from Housing Resources about the Milwaukee County Mortgage Assistance program which provides emergency grants to help you make mortgage payments you have missed due to COVID-19, and hear from Milwaukee Water Works about payment plans if you are having difficulty paying your city services bill.

The workshops conclude with Buy the Block at 12:30 p.m. Residents can Learn about opportunities to buy a City foreclosed property for both homeownership and rental property ownership. Representatives from City Estate, Pyramax Bank and Realty among Friends will walk you through the process.   Also find out about forgivable loans and technical assistance that are available to help you rehabilitate the City homes that are for sale, including the City’s Homebuyer Assistance Program, ARCH Program and Live/Work Duplex Program.

All of the virtual workshops will be viewable on the City Channel (channel 25 on Spectrum Cable and channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse in the City of Milwaukee) and online at www.milwaukee.gov/Channel25. Each workshop will last approximately 30 minutes, and upon concluding there will be a live Q&A with the presenters. Those interested in participating in the live Q&A sessions after any of the workshops are encouraged to register at https://tinyurl.com/2020HRF.

The 2020 Housing Resource Fair will also feature an in-person drive-up component. Resource packets with a variety of housing information will be available from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Northcott Neighborhood House located at 2460 N. 6th Street. The packets will include informational pieces from vendors including: Community First, Community Advocates, Milwaukee County Department of Aging, ACTS Housing, the Department of City Development, the City Assessor’s Office, Milwaukee Water Works, American Family Insurance, the City Treasurer’s Office, WHEDA, Revitalize Milwaukee, Habitat for Humanity, the Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation, Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, ECO, Housing Resources Inc., CIBC, Westcare Harambee, Social Development Commission, Bank On, Riverworks Development Corporation and Take Root Milwaukee.

Additionally, to support families during the holiday season turkeys will be given away while supplies last. Masks are required for those attending the drive-up portion of the event.

“In addition to the workshops the housing resource packets available at Northcott Neighborhood House will contain a wealth of information on a variety of housing related topics,” Alderman Stamper said. “For those in need please stop by to pick up your resource packet and a turkey in advance of Thanksgiving while supplies last.”

The Housing Resource Fair is sponsored by Alderwoman Coggs, Alderman Stamper and the Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation in partnership with the City of Milwaukee. Staff will be available to go over current city programs and to offer guidance through the application processes for programs covered during the virtual workshops. You can learn more at http://city.milwaukee.gov/NIDC.

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.