Baldwin Delivers $2.1 Million to Expand Affordable Housing, Lower Costs for Families in Milwaukee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced she helped deliver $2.1 million for the City of Milwaukee to remove barriers to homeownership, boost housing supply, and lower costs for families. The funding comes as part of the first-ever Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program, which Senator Baldwin successfully funded through the annual government funding process.

“Whether you are renting or hoping to buy, every Wisconsin family deserves access to affordable housing. Period. But, this is just out of reach for too many families because of a lack of supply, all sorts of challenges for developers to build homes, ghosts of racial discrimination, and wealthy out-of-state investors gobbling up the inventory we have,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am thrilled to bring home this funding to build more affordable housing, lower costs for families, and help people put down roots in the communities they love, all while supporting Wisconsin businesses and entrepreneurs.”

“I am particularly pleased because this grant is an investment in Milwaukee – a grant award that will help our city increase affordable homeownership opportunities,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said. “With the help from President Biden and Senator Baldwin, Milwaukee will move forward with our Growing MKE work.  I want more housing options for city residents, and today’s grant announcement will substantially assist that effort.”

The City of Milwaukee will use the $2.1 million to address its racial homeownership gap and overwhelmingly aging housing stock. Specifically, funding will be utilized to preserve and build units for families earning less than $15 per hour by building out the capacity of local developers, specifically emerging developers and developers of color, to generate more affordable units. The City will also pursue land use updates to permit a wider variety of housing styles.

The PRO Housing program supports communities who are actively taking steps to remove barriers to affordable housing, including barriers caused by outdated zoning, land use policies, or regulations; inefficient procedures; gaps in available resources for development; deteriorating or inadequate infrastructure; lack of neighborhood amenities; or challenges to preserving existing housing stock such as increasing threats from natural hazards, redevelopment pressures, or expiration of affordability requirements.

In May, Senator Baldwin joined her colleagues in urging Congress to support and fund the PRO Housing program in the upcoming appropriations bill.  

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