Renting is tough in Milwaukee. There could soon be a tool to help residents find affordable housing.
Renting in Milwaukee County is tough.
Now, a handful of county officials are proposing a new tool to help renters navigate a market with skyrocketing rents and sparse affordable housing options.
County Board Supervisor Jack Eckblad and Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson are looking to partner with CityWise, a Milwaukee-based startup focused on equitable housing solutions, to create an online affordable housing marketplace. The effort would aim to increase "equity, transparency, and accessibility for renters across the county," according to a statement issued by Eckblad.
"We need all the innovative solutions we can get when it comes to housing in Milwaukee, and this marketplace is going to be an amazing resource for tenants in need of affordable housing, anyone searching for subsidized housing, and even the unhoused looking for resources," Eckblad said in a statement.
As an effort to address Milwaukee County's tough rental market, Eckblad developed the proposal with the county's Housing Division and County Executive David Crowley's administration. Since 2020, average rents in the county have risen by more than 40%, with occupancy rates holding above 94%.
"For many residents, that means limited options and increasing vulnerability in the housing market," Eckblad said.
The proposed website would serve as a "central hub" for housing resources that would provide affordable housing listings with accountability measures to protect renters. Landlords with subsidized units or less than 20 total units could use the platform for free and the proposal assures that there would be "built-in safeguards to promote safe and stable housing."
The marketplace would provide property information to potential renters, including any known municipal code violations, as well as share resources for unhoused residents such as a map of warming rooms during winter months.
More: How Madison, Milwaukee low-income apartments offer services, scholarships for residents
Landlords currently in litigation with Milwaukee County or who have a pattern of evictions would be barred from listing.
Landlords who own more than 20 units would be asked to pay "modest" listing fees, which would go towards paying any operational expenses for the marketplace.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New tool could help Milwaukee renters find affordable housing
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