The Harambee Neighborhood Improvement District is accepting applications for its annual Home Repair Grant Program to help homeowners with essential repairs.
The improvement district is a quasi-governmental agency that has run the home repair program since 2016 and has provided over $950,000 in repairs in the Harambee neighborhood.
Residents who apply may be eligible for up to $10,000 to help complete essential repairs.
“This is money the community is already invested through their property taxes, this is just its return,” said Lakesha Wilder, the Harambee Neighborhood Improvement District board chair.
“When you have a hole in your roof or community wildlife takes up residents, it leads to other problems.”
What repairs are eligible for the grant?
Grant funds cover several types of repairs, but those fixes must be classified as essential or as improvements to the home’s safety or stability.
The grant is not need-based, but severe repairs, such as those related to code violations or issues that are harmful to the property, are given priority, according to Wilder. The grant is not available for remodeling projects.
Repairs covered by the grant include:
District representatives will inspect the property after an application is submitted to determine eligibility and the amount of grant funding needed for the project.
While the district will support the project financially, the homeowner will have control over the repairs, including coordinating with a contractor. If multiple contractors are needed, then the district must be contacted.
Changes to projects must also be approved by a district representative.
The improvement district also administers The Legacy Program, an initiative that provides “enhanced support” to older homeowners who have lived in the area for over 30 years, according to the application.
“A lot of times when [elder residents] are on a fixed income, and prices are going up, [their] income does not go up,” Wilder said. “We want to take care of those in need.”
The program has the flexibility to help “wherever possible” so long as funding remains available, but full large-scale projects can also be funded through this grant.
Harambee Neighborhood Improvement District
The 2026 Improvement District board was elected in December 2025, and new members got their official start in March 2026.
The district receives funding from the City of Milwaukee property taxes and uses it to improve homes in the district.
The board recently changed its organizational structure by parting ways with Riverworks Community Development Corporation, which serves the Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods.
The split came after the improvement district became self-sustaining, allowing both organizations to focus on existing and new projects aligned with their respective business models.
The new board members are now considering extending its borders beyond Center Street to include the full Harambee neighborhood, based on overwhelming neighborhood support, as reflected in the results of a non-binding ballot question posed during the board’s December 2025 election.
Everett Eaton covers Harambee for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact: eeaton@usatodayco.com.
Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Bader Philanthropies, Zilber Foundation, Journal Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Harambee Improvement District opens 2026 home repair grant program
Reporting by Everett Eaton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Everett Eaton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
