Mollie Chez

The purpose of this Milwaukee housing committee is to analyze and address various problems that relate to the city's development through various zoning and building codes, property development, historic preservation, and housing projects. During this meeting we got to see multiple people bidding on city owned property, mostly to repurpose them for their business. The most exciting proposal was for the potential new build of two apartment facilities. These facilities would provide affordable housing for kids aging out of foster care, as well as families. The people proposing these facilities were from Journey House, an incredible organization with the focus of community success by providing resources on an individual level. This proposal was slightly controversial for the committee as it failed to address some concerns surrounding the build location and its impact on the community. Throughout our class time, we learned a lot about various ways nonprofits have tried to aid in the urban housing issues that impact larger cities and communities, and this development addressed many of the criteria we discussed including its location, which was across the street from a park and a few blocks away from Journey House, access to public transportation, community acceptance and concerns, and funding. Had Journey House not addressed each of these issues, the proposed complexes would not been as beneficial and successful to the residents and the community. The day before the meeting, we also learned about the increased need for affordable housing targeted towards children aging out of foster care, making this proposal's success even more crucial. Overall, this meeting was very impactful in allowing our group to apply what we learned about urban housing and the impact on each community.