Milwaukee Community Assembly

The City of Milwaukee has a unique opportunity to invest in housing support in 2028 and 2029. A new state law lets Wisconsin cities and villages keep certain tax incremental districts running longer than usual, so they can use the extra time and money to invest in more affordable housing. As a result, Milwaukee will have higher-than-historic levels of funding available for housing programs in 2028 and 2029. We want the community to help inform how we allocate these resources.

We invite Milwaukee residents to be part of Milwaukee’s Community Assembly on Housing on November 14. This is not your traditional public meeting. It is a nonpartisan, facilitated process that will bring together a representative group of Milwaukee residents to learn about our local housing landscape and develop concrete recommendations for the City of Milwaukee.

The process

36 Milwaukee residents will be chosen by lottery to take part.

• You do not need to be an expert to participate. Your experience as someone who lives in the community is what matters most.
• If selected, you’ll receive $100 for full participation.

You don’t need to be an expert

Whether you’ve lived in Milwaukee your whole life or arrived more recently, your experience as a community member is exactly what this process needs. As a participant, you will:

• Learn about Milwaukee’s housing landscape and current housing programs;
• Hear a range of perspectives from fellow residents;
• Deliberate in small groups to consider possible housing solutions and weigh trade-offs; and
• Help develop recommendations to inform the City’s housing plan for 2028 and 2029.

Important dates

To be considered, please apply by October 23, 2026. If selected, you will be notified by October 30.

Hosts

Sponsor: Office of the Mayor of Milwaukee

Organizers: UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Division of Extension Community Development Institute