Milwaukee, WI

Housing Authority residents double down on investigation demands | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Published

1 year ago

September 5, 2023

Housing Authority residents double down on investigation demands | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Last week, more than 300 people assembled in Milwaukee to push for improvements at the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. (Photo by PrincessSafiya Byers)

In April, residents demanded an investigation and leadership changes at the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, alleging lost rent payments and poor management and maintenance.

Last week, residents continued pushing their demands as more than 300 people gathered in the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church to insist Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, or HACM, leaders be held accountable.

Residents speak out

Several people gave testimonials on how they had been overcharged, charged unfair late fees or charged for bills they’d already paid.

“What we are hearing here is that HACM is incompetent and negligent in its rent collection and that it steals from its residents,” said the Rev. Will Davis, who co-chaired the assembly. “The organization has known for over a year that’s its residents are being mischarged and (HACM) has (done) nothing to fix the issue.”

Florence Riley, who has lived in her Westlawn apartment for three years, said she’s been charged late fees for seven months in a row despite paying her rent on time.

“When I take it to management, they just adjust the bill and say it’s a glitch in the system,” said Riley. “My concern is for my senior and disabled neighbors that don’t know how to look for these things. Are they giving them their money back?”

Others said they have been pressured into filing false claims for rent assistance from Community Advocates and the Social Development Commission.

According to a statement from Amy Hall, the marketing and communications officer with HACM, the Housing Authority has implemented a substantial number of monitoring, compliance, evaluation and enforcement requirements.

The Housing Authority is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Milwaukee Common Council. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.

Tenants raise concerns

Earlier this year, residents and Common Ground, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that works on community issues, gathered to demand an investigation into the Housing Authority. This occurred after its staff spoke with 1,000 residents in public housing across 17 different developments in Milwaukee who expressed concerns about having experienced assault, bedbugs and rats, “lost” rent payments, abusive management, mold and no heat.

The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee provides public housing to about 5,000 low-income, elderly or disabled Milwaukeeans and their families.

“It took me eight years to get into my unit, where I can afford to live like an actual person,” said Riley. “I don’t plan on leaving. I am going to keep trying to hold this organization accountable.”

According to Roye “Chris” Logan, a HACM resident who is heavily involved in trying to hold the agency accountable, some of the residents’ concerns are beginning to be addressed, but there has still been no accountability for HACM’s management team.

“They got rid of the abusive manager we’d been complaining about for months, made a few repairs and gave us back access to community spaces,” she said. “But there is much more that needs to be done.”

Davis said the group had hoped to discuss concerns with HUD regional administrator Diane Shelley, but said she backed out because of its line of questioning.

NNS reached out to HUD officials but has not heard back.

“We request reports and don’t get them,” Logan said. “We complain, and they tell us we need more people, so we find more people. We are doing HUD’s job for them, and they still find excuses not to show up.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Advocates sound alarm over ICE office relocation in Milwaukee

Published

4 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Advocates sound alarm over ICE office relocation in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE — For years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents have worked out of an office in Downtown Milwaukee.

That will change in the near future as the Department of Homeland Security plans to move its office on Knapp and Broadway to Lake Park Drive, just off Interstate 41 on Milwaukee’s northwest side.

Documents obtained by TMJ4 state that the government office would be used to process non-detained report-ins and detainees for transport to holding facilities.

Wednesday afternoon, city and county leaders, along with community members, gathered outside the new ICE office.

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Fernanda Jimenez, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, is dedicated to advocating for immigration reform alongside her organization, Comite Sin Fronteras.

“What we’ve been working mostly on is making sure that we protect our immigrant community but also fight for a pathway to citizenship,” she said.

Mike Beiermeister

Fernanda Jimenez

Currently, a significant concern for Jimenez and her group is the planned relocation to a new processing facility on Milwaukee’s northwest side.

This issue dominated their discussions on Wednesday, as Jimenez understands the implications of such a move.

Brought to the U.S. as a child, Jimenez is undocumented but protected from deportation by federal policy (DACA). Despite her protections, she remains anxious for friends and family who do not share the same status.

Watch: Advocates sound alarm over ICE office relocation in Milwaukee

Advocates sound alarm over ICE office relocation in Milwaukee

“Even though it’s not considered a detention center, it’s just a place where they’re going to process people. It gives them the ability, they’re closer to the highway, and they’re able to take them to a detention center. That gives them more expansion to be able to process anybody,” she explained.

The proposed facility has ignited fear for some within Milwaukee’s Latino community, according to fellow DACA recipient Mario Rubio and Cesar Hernandez, who lives on Milwaukee’s south side.

“Some people, with this happening, are afraid to work. So you’re losing out on income. You’re losing out on groceries. You know, you’re slowly putting yourself in this corner where it just becomes more lonely,” Rubio said.

In response, an ICE spokesperson told TMJ4 that no ICE detention facilities are planned for the location in question.

“I call BS,” said Cesar Hernandez, a Milwaukee resident. “I think that it’s a line they’re feeding to the media as well to try to keep some of the outrage or some of the outcry and response and organizing to a minimum, but I think we know better.”

He shared his concerns over the facility in question.

“I was disgusted. It didn’t surprise me that DHS didn’t so much as reach out to the local elected officials as an act of good faith, or at least work in collaboration with the local elected officials that they would have to be working with if they plan to implement those facilities,” he said.

As discussions continue, it remains unclear when the Department of Homeland Security plans to move into the new building.

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Milwaukee, WI

Wrong-way driver passed Harris motorcade; Milwaukee man pleads not guilty

Published

11 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Wrong-way driver passed Harris motorcade; Milwaukee man pleads not guilty

article

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee man accused of driving the wrong way toward Vice President Kamala Harris’ motorcade in October pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

Wrong-way driver

The backstory:

It happened on Oct. 21. Harris had just wrapped up a rally in Brookfield when the wrong-way vehicle passed her motorcade on I-94 near the Marquette Interchange. Prosecutors said 55-year-old Wayne Wacker was behind the wheel.

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Court filings said Wacker appeared to be driving at “close to highway speeds.” He was stopped near 13th Street, and deputies said he “had a very strong odor of intoxicates emitting from his person, bloodshot and glassy eyes, and extremely slurred speech.”

Wacker told deputies he was on his way home from a Walker’s Point bar and was “unaware” he was driving the wrong way on the interstate, the complaint states. He was taken to the nearby Milwaukee Intermodal Station for field sobriety tests, and the complaint states a preliminary breath test had a BAC reading of .252.

While waiting for a blood draw as part of the OWI investigation, prosecutors said Wacker told deputies he “had no recollection” of entering the freeway or almost striking another vehicle. He also said he had no idea Harris was in Milwaukee and had no intention of harming her or any member of her campaign.

In court

What’s next:

Wacker is charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Court records show his next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 18.

The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwakuee County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks to host 'Bucks In Ink' event Jan. 16 at Fiserv Forum

Published

19 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee Bucks to host 'Bucks In Ink' event Jan. 16 at Fiserv Forum

article

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks will host a “Bucks In Ink” flash event on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 12-2 p.m. in the atrium of Fiserv Forum.

Bucks In Ink

What we know:

Local tattoo artists will be on site to give permanent tattoos to registered fans using artwork inspired by Bucks basketball, the city of Milwaukee and the 2025 NBA All-Star Game host city of San Francisco.

According to a news release, the tattoos will be done by artists from Good Land Tattoo, Black Dawn Tattoo and Xolo Tattoo Studio.

The free event builds on the Bucks’ 2025 All-Star campaign, which bridges the Bay Area to the shores of Lake Michigan through the American traditional tattoo style that originated in Milwaukee.

Limited spots are available for the event. Interested participants must register in advance by filling out THIS FORM.

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What you can do:

Fans can also show support for the Bucks’ 2025 All-Star candidates by visiting the “Bucks In Ink” temporary tattoo parlor at home games through Jan. 19.

The parlor is open in Section 218 from the time doors open through halftime of each Bucks home game, including tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Voting for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game is open now through Jan. 20. Fans can vote once per day and take advantage of the remaining triple-vote days, where each vote counts as three, on Friday, Jan. 17, and Monday, Jan. 20.

To vote or learn more about the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, visit www.bucks.com/allstar.

The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Bucks.

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