Milwaukee affordable housing; emerging developers get more involved

MILWAUKEE - There is a new push in Milwaukee to get people into homes they can afford; more affordable housing. But what exactly does that mean?

Affordable housing defined

What we know:

Affordable housing refers to units and programs designed to be affordable for working people and families finding themselves in low and moderately low-income brackets.  

If a working person or their family are forced to spend more than 30% of their annual income on housing, they are eligible for affordable housing assistance. 

Public housing defined

What we know:

Public housing is a completely different concept. It is a specific type of government-owned, subsidized housing for low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities. It is managed by local agencies. 

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

In Milwaukee, that agency is the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM). Right now, HACM provides more than 11,000 households across the city with housing. But FOX6 News learned, there is an up-and-coming developer ready to make Milwaukee more affordable. 

Developer steps in

Dig deeper:

What long sat as a vacant house for decades now has a new look. 

 "Welcome to our beautiful, remodeled Lloyd Street property. Come on in," said Adrienne Hunter, an Emerging Developers recipient. "The walls were damaged really badly, the floors were damaged, the ceilings were damaged."

Hunter is the founder of Top Tier Developments. It is a business she and her husband created five years ago. They restore vacant and tax-foreclosed properties. 

Adrienne Hunter

Hunter's newest move-in-ready property can be found near 35th and Lloyd in Milwaukee. Top Tier Development LLC was given the assignment of restoring homes through the Homes MKE program, a federally-funded initiative through the Department of City Development. 

Hunter then received help from a new emerging developers fund, part of a program through the 30th Street Industrial Corridor. It is a nonprofit that awards Black and Latino developers with key funding for home improvement projects. Hunter was one of its first recipients, earning a $15,000 grant. 

Affordable housing demands

Local perspective:

The program also addresses affordable housing demands across Milwaukee. A spokesperson from the Community Development Alliance said by 2050, the goal is to create 32,000 more housing and rental units in Milwaukee. There is a vast number of vacant lots peppered across the city. 

Hunter told FOX6 News she sees it as an opportunity for developers like her to make a difference. 

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"It means that we can have a greater impact in our city, in our communities and neighborhoods that we grew up in because there are resources that are targeted for us so that we can expand our reach as well," Hunter said. 

Learn more about how to apply or donate to the Emerging Developers Fund.