Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Housing Authority names interim secretary-executive director, deputy director to resign
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A leadership change is underway at the embattled Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM).
On Thursday, HACM announced the appointment of an interim secretary-executive director and the resignation of its deputy director, who has been with the organization since 2009.
Kenneth Barbeau will serve as the interim secretary-executive director, effective Jan. 2, 2025, HACM announced in an emailed press release late Thursday night, Dec. 19.
The secretary-executive director is responsible for HACM’s operations and reports to the Board of Commissioners.
What to know about Kenneth Barbeau:
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM)
- Barbeau has been with HACM since 1999, serving most recently as the chief operating officer of program services.
- In his current role, he oversees a broad portfolio of public housing resident services, including programs focused on employment, education, healthcare, senior and disabled services, financial literacy, and more, according to HACM’s website.
- He also provides oversight for HACM’s Section 8 program and public safety department.
The release also highlighted the resignation of Deputy Director Fernando Aniban, effective Feb. 21, 2024.
The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
Aniban had previously served as the Chief Financial Officer since October 2009, where he led the strategic management process for the agency and “implemented policies, systems, and procedures that strengthened internal controls and ensured accurate and timely financial reporting,” according to HACM’s website.He was later named Assistant Secretary- Deputy Director in May 2022.
The announcement of Aniban’s resignation follows a federal reviewof HACM, made public on Dec. 11. The report stated that HACM is not providing high-quality public housing, inaccurately reporting financial information, and may not be in compliance with federal and state regulations.
The review also stated the agency submitted “material misstatements,” including a variance of more than $2 million in an unreconciled account.
HACM has not provided a reason for Aniban’s resignation.
The announcements also came just two weeks after current Executive Director Willie Hines, who has faced scrutiny, announced he would step down at the end of this year. His resignation will be effective Jan. 1, 2025. Hines is set to receive $11,000/month for the rest of his life.
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But will a transition in leadership result in meaningful improvements for those HACM serves? For two years, people living in Milwaukee’s public housing have been vocal about deplorable living conditions in properties citywide.
Those conditions include infestations of rats and cockroaches, reports of black mold, bed bugs, intrusions, and inadequate heating in some apartments, forcing some residents to rely on space heaters or use their ovens for warmth. For the last year and a half, TMJ4’s Jenna Rae has been reporting extensively on these issues.
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The announcement of leadership changes also comes the same week TMJ4’s Jenna Rae reported on emails obtained by the station showing that Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s team has been facilitating media responses for HACM. This comes amid Rae’s continued investigations into HACM residents’ living conditions, the agency’s practices, and the transparency of the city’s leadership.
WATCH: INVESTIGATION: Mayor’s office involvement in Housing Authority leadership
INVESTIGATION: Mayor’s office involvement in Housing Authority leadership
Meanwhile, HACM’s new board members echoed their previous statements committing to provide greater transparency.
“As commissioners, we are steadfast in our commitment to providing safe, affordable housing and enhancing the quality of life for our residents across the City of Milwaukee,” said Charlotte Hayslett, Chair of the HACM Board of Commissioners in the emailed press release Thursday. “That includes ensuring a smooth transition of leadership as we search for a new Secretary-Executive Director.”
Whether the changes in leadership will result in meaningful improvements for residents in 2025 remains to be seen.
TMJ4 News is committed to elevating the voices of those living in public housing. Email Jenna.Rae@tmj4.com.
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MILWAUKEE – A grocery store on Milwaukee’s north side needs your help, or they could close. The Sherman Park Grocery store serves one of 13 federally recognized food deserts in Milwaukee.
What we know:
The grocery store serves one of the most underserved areas of Milwaukee. But in order to stay open, the store owner, Moe Wince, says he needs help.
The store is dealing with a multitude of obstacles – including paying monthly bills, increased food prices, and flood damage.
Sherman Park Grocery Store says it’s the only Black-owned grocery store in the state and serves one of 13 food deserts in Milwaukee.
Food deserts are areas with low income households and poor access to grocery stores.
Sherman Park Grocery Store
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What they’re saying:
“We can’t sustain ourselves. If things do not change, or we don’t start collaborating and getting somebody or an organization or nonprofit or philanthropy group stepping up and saying ‘Mo, this is what it looks like for us, and we want to maintain your store, we want to make sure you sustain yourselves, not just tomorrow, but long term,’” said Mo Wince, Sherman Park Grocery owner.
The store says their goal is to help provide healthier food options to the area.
In an effort to keep their doors open, Sherman Park Grocery is reaching out for help to anyone – including state government, local non-profits, businesses and volunteers.
The Source: This post was produced by FOX6 News.
Suspected Milwaukee drunken driver drives into sheriff deputy, footage shows
A 21-year-old, accused of drunken driving the wrong way on Interstate 43 and crashing into a Milwaukee sheriff’s deputy on January 1, was charged with second-degree reckless endangering safety and a driving while under the influence, second offense.
Provided by Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
A 22-year-old pregnant Milwaukee woman was found dead in a house fire that was intentionally set, leaving behind a 3-year-old daughter.
The family of Gladys Johnson is heartbroken at their loss. Her death occurred 33 years almost to the day that her brothers died in a fire.
Gladys Johnson was discovered by her mother, Michelle Johnson, following a fire at their residence in the 2800 block of North 26th Street on Jan. 5.
The Milwaukee Police Department said a 21-year-old man has been arrested for arson. Police said the man intentionally brandished a firearm and then started a house on fire.
The man who was arrested is the father of Johnson’s daughter and unborn child, according to Josie Johnson-Smith, Gladys Johnson’s aunt.
Police said Gladys Johnson’s cause of death is officially undetermined and under investigation, but the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.
“He took my niece’s life,” Johnson-Smith said. “He threatened to kill her before. That’s why she ended up back with her mom.”
The Journal Sentinel does not typically name suspects unless they’ve been formally charged with a crime.
Gladys Johnson was five months pregnant with a baby boy, according to Johnson-Smith. “She was so happy, teaching her daughter that she was going to be a big sister,” Johnson-Smith said.
Fire-related death reopens old wounds
Gladys Johnson’s death reopens old wounds for her mother, who lost two sons in a bar fire in Milwaukee in 1992.
Milwaukee Journal reporting from the time recalls Terrance Bizzle-Johnson, 4, and Antonio Bizzle-Johnson, 2, being found dead on New Year’s Eve 1992 from smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a family tavern on the north side of the city.
The Journal’s article details a harrowing rescue attempt by family members, including by Josie Johnson-Smith and Michelle Johnson.
Gladys Johnson was the ‘light in our family’
Gladys Johnson was named after her late grandmother.
“She was the most loving person you ever wanted to meet,” Johnson-Smith said. “Her spirit was a light. If you were in a bad mood, she would cheer you up. She was the light in our family.
“Her daughter is 3 years old and can talk, spell, and say her ABCs. She was a good mom.
“We’re just so devastated right now. He’s seemed like a nice man. So many young women have passed away with domestic situations and it’s just overwhelming.
“The only thing I’d ask the community, to the young women out there that are going through situations similar to my niece, speak out. Don’t be ashamed. You have to tell somebody.”
Gladys’ Johnson’s family started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.
Where to find help for domestic violence
Victim advocates can help with safety planning. Calls to advocates are confidential and do not involve law enforcement.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.
- The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-4673.
- End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin has a statewide directory of resources at endabusewi.org/get-help.
- Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault has a statewide directory of resources at wcasa.org/survivors/service-providers.
- The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at 414-933-2722.
- The Milwaukee Women’s Center offers a 24-hour crisis line at 414-671-6140.
- We Are Here Milwaukee provides information on culturally specific organizations at weareheremke.org.
- Kids Matter Inc. provides free legal services and specialized assistance to individuals caring for children impacted by domestic violence and homicide. Kids Matter can be reached at 414-344-1220 and offers free online resources at kidsmatterinc.org.
Take flight over the Milwaukee area
Get a bird’s-eye view from a drone over downtown Milwaukee, American Family Field, the Mitchell Domes, and along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Former Milwaukee Common Council member Don Richards died on Dec. 26 at age 89.
Richards served on the Milwaukee Common Council between 1988 and 2004, representing District 9 on the city’s north and northwest sides until his retirement due to health reasons, according to his obituary.
During his tenure at the city, Richards was a member of the Judiciary and Legislation Committee, Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, as well as the Housing Authority and City Records Committee.
Although the two had a brief overlap in city government, former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who was first elected in 2004, recalled Richards as “always smiling and always caring.”
“He was a wonderful man. A very Christian man who cared deeply about the community and the people who live here,” Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Before becoming a city alderman, Richards participated in the citywide marches protesting a lack of open housing legislation in the city in the 1960s and was a priest in the Milwaukee Archdiocese for almost two decades, starting in 1963. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the St. Francis Seminary and Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
Following his time on the Common Council, Richards began to teach local government classes at Alverno College. He also worked as an economic development specialist with the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, his obituary said.
Richards is survived by his brother, Bob (Joanne), and was preceded in death by his wife, Doloros; his parents, Gregor and Rose Richards; and his brothers, Jim Richards and Ed Richards, according to his obit.
A visitation is planned at 10 a.m. Jan 8 until his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at Alvina of Milwaukee Chapel, 9301 N. 76th Street.
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