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City makes plea for more money to demolish foreclosed homes
City makes plea for more money to demolish foreclosed homes
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee leaders signed a measure on Friday, December 21st that would give the city an additional $500,000 to cover the cost of demolishing homes the city acquires through foreclosure.
Milwaukee now owns 1,168 homes and businesses that it acquired under foreclosure. Residents are happy to see boarded up homes get torn down. But city leaders say it's not all good news. That's because each torn down building represents revenue for the city.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was joined by Common Council President Willie Hines and Alderman Michael Murphy to also publicly asked Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen for a share of a recent $100 million settlement to help the city address this growing problem.
The three city leaders say the $500,000 Wisconsin's Department of Justice gave the city a few weeks ago was simply not enough.