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
Prefer to call-in only (no video)?
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
By Kirsten Fagerland Pezewski, Attorney
CITY OF MILWAUKEE’S PROPOSED HOUSING ELEMENT PLAN: A plan to increase housing in the City of Milwaukee that affects property owners and developers.
We are writing today to talk about the City of Milwaukee’s Proposed Housing Element Plan. Any owners or developers interested in City of Milwaukee properties should be interested in this plan.
This project has been in motion since 2023, and is currently in the adoption process. The “final draft” of the plan is dated June 9, 2025.
On July 8, 2025, the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee recommended approval of the ordinance adopting Milwaukee’s Comprehensive Plan: Housing Element as part of Milwaukee’s overall Comprehensive Plan.
The summary shows two “near term” strategies: (1) update the zoning code to allow more neighborhood scale housing in more neighborhoods (allowing detached homes, townhouses, ADUs and cottage courts in all neighborhoods); and (2) adjust the zoning code to remove barriers to new housing by relying on height, setback and design requirements as opposed to mathematical equations to control the numbers of housing units.
The plan does touch on renters and therefore on property owners. However, the plan is largely about re-envisioning Milwaukee’s zoning and planning rules to encourage housing-friendly growth which goes hand in hand with walkable neighborhoods, group homes, homes for all ages and stages, multigenerational families, etc. As such, the plan may be of interest to members that are interested in development, and the plan may hold information regarding programs and services that, while chiefly directed more to homeowners, may provide opportunities for members interested in development as well.
There are seven key priorities including an emphasis on building repair, intergovernmental collaboration and legislative advocacy which increases accountability for property owners and enacting legislation protecting tenant rights, and a city commitment to “anti-displacement” which does not, in the summary, refer to anti-eviction measures, but does in the plan.
Of note, this plan is an update to the “Comprehensive Plan” to support evolving housing needs, and earlier drafts were entitled “Growing Milwaukee”. Members may be familiar with information attached to the earlier plans.
The first one-third of the report is background material. There are interesting statistics regarding Milwaukee Housing and rental housing in Milwaukee. For instance, when housing was built and in what areas of the city, and the numbers of units of differing types built over time. It shows 58% of Milwaukeeans are renters, for example.
The plan shows various “themes” from public comments. Owner-related are the following: anti-displacement of renters and homeowners; “Fair & Quality Housing Conditions”—residents would like city officials to hold “bad” landlords accountable to provide fair and quality housing for all residents; “Accountability & Speculation”—residents would like city officials to hold absentee landlords accountable and discourage predatory and speculative investment in homes.
The plan discusses “Goals & Policies” of the City of Milwaukee including the following:
This does provide insight into tenant rights’ packages for which the City of Milwaukee may be advocating. Members should continue to be aware of local housing and legal trends.
Information provided from HACM (Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee)
July Virtual Information Session
Update: Recertification and Lease Renewal Processing
We understand that some of you may have now exceeded the 90-day extended payment period. As a reminder, property owners will continue to receive payments for up to three (3) months after the lease expiration date. Rest assured, we are working diligently to complete these recertifications and resume regular payments as quickly as possible. Once a tenant's lease renewal is finalized, a copy will be sent to both parties. At that time, any necessary payment adjustments, retroactive to the renewal date, will be made.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work through our backlog of tenant recertifications. We truly appreciate your understanding.
Direct Deposit Now Required for July 2025 and Following Payments
As was first announced in January, and in each monthly communication since, beginning July 1, 2025, HACM will only issue Housing Assistance Payments through direct deposit. Therefore, if you are a property owner/manager and have yet to set up Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) via your Landlord Portal account, we are holding your check for July here at our office.
Did you miss the Town Hall which discussed the Opportunity MKE program?
Here's a flyer that explains what was discussed.
High-opportunity generally means neighborhoods with high performing schools, access to employment, low rates of violent crime, and access to other amenities like parks and grocery stores.
Want more information on this program?
Visit the Website Here
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