From the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM)
For many years, it has been the policy of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program to place Housing Assistance Payments on hold if a participating household has failed to comply with their annual income re-certification obligations and the re-certification becomes more than three months past due. This policy exists to protect public funds by ensuring payments are not made on behalf of households and units that are no longer eligible for assistance.
In January of 2025, HACM retained the services of CVR Associates, Inc. (CVR) to manage its HCV Program. CVR is a national consulting firm with extensive HCV experience. They identified significant file deficiencies which must be corrected and have delayed the processing of annual re-certifications. It is vitally important to make these corrections in order to ensure data integrity going forward. However, as a result, payments have been held up for approximately 500 assisted households.
To ensure that owners are not unduly penalized, HACM has temporarily changed its policy so that payments are not placed on hold unless the income recertification is more than six months past due. Each account is being handled individually to ensure data accuracy and payments will be made on a rolling basis with all payments expected to be completed by October 31, 2025.
Additional resources have been deployed to assist with the necessary file processing. We encourage you to work with your affected tenants to ensure they remain compliant with program requirements. Non-compliant households could be subject to program termination in the coming months. We should also remind landlords that if they are missing HAP payments, they can contact our call center at (414) 286-5650 for assistance. If you believe you are missing any payments or have any other questions or concerns, please contact us at (414) 286-5650.
The HACM and CVR teams extend our sincere appreciation to landlords for their patience and understanding as we work through these challenges.
We value your partnership and ongoing collaboration in supporting families who rely on the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Get the latest information regarding the HACM HCV Program, including what is happening with late recertifications, new NSPIRE inspections standards, the landlord portal and any concerns and/or questions you may have.
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: Microsoft Teams
Prefer to call-in only (no video)?
No Housing Payments due to late Recertification and Lease Renewal Processing
We understand that some of you have now exceeded the 90-day extended payment period. Property owners will continue to receive payments for up to three (3) months after the lease expiration date. We are working diligently to complete these recertifications and resume regular payments as quickly as possible, and we appreciate your patience. Once a tenant's lease renewal is finalized, a copy will be sent to both you and your tenant. At that time, any necessary payment adjustments, retroactive to the renewal date, will be made.
Preventing HAP Abatement
Proactive Maintenance: It is recommended that owners inspect their units before the annual inspection and correct any deficiencies found. Consider the following:
Deficiency Correction: If deficiencies are found during an inspection, owners are typically given a specific timeframe to make repairs (e.g., 24 hours for life-threatening issues, 30 days for non-emergency issues).
Monitor Inspection communication: Owners are notified of inspection appointment and results in various ways; mailed notices, automated calls, CVR inspection portal, and Rent Cafe owner portal. Owners should monitor these channels to keep abreast of inspection dates and results. Automated reminder calls and emails remind owners of upcoming appointments, results, and pre-abatement enforcement. Please make sure your phone number and email are up to date in our system, you can change them through the landlord portal.
Re-inspection: The unit will be re-inspected after the repair period. If repairs are not made, HAP payments will be suspended (abated) beginning the first of the proximate month.
HAP Contract Breach: Failure to maintain the unit according to HUD inspection standards is a common landlord breach of the HAP contract. The HAP contract outlines the owner’s obligations, including:
Tenant Accountability
While the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) administers the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, lease enforcement is solely the responsibility of the property owner or landlord. Owners must take appropriate and timely action to address lease violations in accordance with Wisconsin law and the terms of the lease agreement.
Use a Clear Lease
Screen Tenants Carefully
Inspect Regularly (with 12-hour notice)
Communicate & Document Everything
Enforce Lease Terms
Handle Security Deposits Properly
Know What You Can’t Do
Use State Resources
To ensure coordinated support, please report any lease violations, including notices of termination or eviction, immediately to hcvsupport@hacm.org. This allows HACM to appropriately address the matter with the program participant.
Did you know, it’s now easier to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in Milwaukee? Check out the ADU Guide and other resources at milwaukee.gov/adu
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans for Wisconsin businesses, private nonprofits, and residents affected by severe storms and flooding occurring Aug. 9-12, 2025. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from Gov. Tony Evers, on Sept. 10, 2025.
The declaration covers primary Wisconsin counties of Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha; which are eligible for both Physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA EIDLs: Dodge, Fond Du Lac, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan and Walworth.
Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.
Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 17, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Milwaukee County to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.
The BRC hours of operation are listed below.
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Milwaukee County
Summit Place
6737 W Washington St
West Allis, WI 53214
Opening: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed Sunday
“SBA’s Business Recovery Centers have consistently proven their value to business owners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “Business owners can visit these centers to meet face-to-face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”
Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for PNPs, and 3% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms, based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.
With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid for by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 10, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 11, 2026.
DOWNLOAD THE FACT SHEET (pdf)
Please note that this training is intended for housing providers, not housing consumers or members of the general public.
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
To register for this seminar, CLICK HERE or call 414-278-1240.
The seminar will include information about the protected classes and prohibited practices delineated by local, state, and federal fair housing laws, as well as reasonable accommodations and modifications for tenants with disabilities.
The material presented during this seminar is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Recording of the seminar is not permitted.
August Virtual Information Session
Click here to join the meeting
Landlord Portal: Features Now Available
Great news! The next time you log into the Landlord Portal, not only will you be able to access real-time information about your HACM HCV Program account, but you will also be able to view inspection reports and submit rent increase requests, if eligible ... all without having to call, email or come into the office.
Inspection Reports are now available via the 'Attachments' icon on your dashboard. These are typically posted the next business day following the inspection.
To submit a Rent Increase Request, simply click the 'Rent Increase Request' icon on your dashboard and follow the on-screen instructions.
Not yet registered for a portal account? Please email stephen.fendt@hacm.org and include your name and the last four of your tax ID. Once received, we'll send you a registration code.
These reports are used to support the state & city asking FEMA for help.
https://211wisconsin.communityos.org/damage-report
Update provided courtesy of MCHS
LIFT Celebrates One Year
We're thrilled to mark the one-year anniversary of LIFT (Landlord Incentives to Foster Tenancy) -- our landlord incentive program designed to strengthen housing stability through flexible funding, quicker lease-ups, and strong partnerships. Partners can stay tuned for our annual report and updates at www.LIFTMKE.com.
Inspection Updates
Beginning October 1st, 2025, Milwaukee County Housing services is transitioning from Housing Quality Standards (HQS) to NSPIRE. As part of this change, we want to highlight a major update for all housing providers. A smoke detector installed outside of a sleeping room within 6 feet of the bedroom, will no longer be acceptable during inspection. The new standards require that all sleeping rooms must have a 10-year sealed battery smoke detector installed. This is in addition to already required smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Upcoming Housing Provider Town Hall
Let's connect! Come here from our Supportive Housing Case Management team at our next virtual town hall is happening Tuesday, July 15th at 10am. We'll discuss and learn about case management and other mental health services available to Milwaukee County residents.
Register Here
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