MILWAUKEE — The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee owns 27 buildings and has 4,000 units dedicated to low-income families and seniors in the city. On Sunday, hundreds of those residents spoke out and asked for better conditions.
Connie Jones Harris has lived in the Lapham Park building for 5 years. She is one of 175 residents demanding more accountability from their property owners.
“We're accumulating in roaches and mice and it's not sanitary,” shared Jones Harris, the President of the Lapham Park Residents Organization. “We need better service.”
I asked her, as the president of the resident’s organization, what she believes are things that her building needs to help the residents.
“They need more security, they need to pick up the trash often, they need to get rid of the bed bugs-- the bed bugs, have been around for over 20 years there,” Harris Jones said.
Sunday’s event was put on by Common Ground, an organization made up of 43 local groups that work together to address community issues.
Kevin Solomon, Associate Organizer with Common Ground, said the organization is there “to provide accountability where accountability is missing.”
“The housing authority has little to no oversight,” Solomon told TMJ4. “The city, when it created HACM in 1944, did not retain oversight over this organization.”
TMJ4 reached out to the Housing Authority, who shared this statement:
The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee’s (HACM) highest priority is to provide excellent service and quality affordable housing options to more than 10,000 households throughout Milwaukee. HACM takes residents’ concerns very seriously. We are aware of issues raised by residents, many of which have been resolved, and others that we have been actively working to address. When other matters are brought to our attention, we will address them as well. HACM’s mission has been to provide critical affordable housing to Milwaukeeans for nearly 80 years. Despite significant underfunding for affordable housing, we have continued to be resilient in advancing our mission and providing opportunities for our residents to thrive. We will continue to find solutions to ensure safe, healthy living environments for our residents. For more detailed information about HACM’s efforts, please visit hacm.org/media [hacm.org].
Advocates say HACM's word is not enough. They demand the city address six concerns:
- Deferred Maintenance: Invest at least $75 million to address deferred and essential maintenance, in consultation with residents, over the next 2 years.
- Management: Create a resident-centered management system (including culture, accountability, training, and hiring) with residents participating in every aspect.
- Pests/Rodents: Hire a third-party pest control company to inspect each property for bugs and rodents, and provide a full evaluation and comprehensive plan for eradicating pests and keeping them at bay.
- Security: Develop and implement a new public safety plan to address crime and safety in and around HACM properties.
- Tenant Rights: Respect residents’ civil rights, including the right to assemble and the right to organize. Ensure tenants are informed of and guaranteed due process for all grievances or disciplinary actions.
- Accountability: Fund a full-time ombudsman who would conduct independent and professional investigations of complaints lodged by HACM residents, employees, or taxpayers.
Common Ground is planning two more HACM Tenants Organizing Committee Meetings: Monday, April 3rd and Monday, April 17th from 6:00-7:30pm at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church on Burleigh St.
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