Homeless Milwaukeeans could soon receive $2.5 million in federal funding through a tenant-based rental assistance program under a new proposal from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and the county’s Department of Health and Human Services.
According to a news release from the Crowley administration, money from the HOME Investment Partnerships Program federal block grant would be reallocated toward the county’s Tenant-Based Rent Assistance program.
The program can fund security deposits and up to two years of rental assistance for those who meet the federal definition of homelessness. The grant has been given to states and local governments and is dedicated to creating affordable housing options.
If the Board of Supervisors approves the reallocation proposal, it would be the largest single investment in addressing homelessness in the county’s history, according to the county executive’s office.
For years, Milwaukee County has seen a downward trend in the number of homeless individuals. Over the last decade, the county has reduced its unsheltered homelessness by 75%, according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Crowley wants to maintain that trend through housing-first strategies established county-wide without burdening the county’s Housing Authority that has secured permanent housing for individuals.
“To sustain this progress, we must continue identifying innovative, efficient ways to help people facing housing instability. Housing is foundational to health and well-being, and without it, addressing other needs becomes far more difficult,” Crowley said in a statement on May 22. “This reallocation will connect unsheltered residents to housing and supportive services, putting them on a path toward stability, independence, and a way forward.”
With efforts to invest in affordable housing options, authorities have also made a concerted attempt to clear parking lots and encampments of people living in cars or tents.
The statement from the county also underscored some difficulties it has had in ensuring it can provide for homeless people – this includes the rising costs of rent, the increasing difficulty allocating rental assistance funds for the purpose of reducing the county’s homeless population as well as the inability to issue new rental assistance vouchers in 2026 due to budget caps.
“This investment is critical to address homelessness in our community. We have demonstrated proven success with our Housing First philosophy since 2015, seeing a sizable drop in our unsheltered count,” said James Mathy, administrator of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Housing Services. “The return on investment is substantial, reducing criminal justice costs and an even greater impact in reducing expensive emergency healthcare costs.”
The County Board will consider the proposal from Crowley and the Department of Health and Human Services in June.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: David Crowley seeks 2.5M in federal dollars for homeless rental aid
Reporting by Vanessa Swales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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