Two Milwaukee recipients are located within “Transform Milwaukee” initiative
The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) has announced the WHEDA Foundation, Inc. is awarding $500,000 in housing grants to special needs housing providers throughout the state. These grants, awarded during WHEDA’s annual Housing Grant Program competition, help housing providers build new facilities or make improvements to their existing facilities.
“WHEDA has been very fortunate to provide financial support to special needs housing providers in need through our foundation for more than 25 years,” said WHEDA executive director Wyman Winston.
“Wisconsin residents in crisis depend on these providers for safe, affordable housing, so I’m proud to announce that this year’s grant monies will create or improve approximately 800 beds and housing units across our great state.”
Seven providers in Milwaukee County are receiving a total of $123,429 in awards. Two of the providers, United Community Center and Guest House of Milwaukee are located within the Transform Milwaukee area. WHEDA is committing over $100 million to the Transform Milwaukee initiative over a two-year period to focus on restoring economic vitality to the industrial, residential and transportation areas connecting Milwaukee’s 30th Street Industrial Corridor, Menomonee Valley, Port of Milwaukee and Aerotropolis.
Other Milwaukee awardees include My Home Your Home, The Cathedral Center, Jewish Family Services, Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee, and TLS Behavioral Health.
The winning 2013 Milwaukee grants will be used to install automatic door openers, provide housing repairs, update accessibilities, accommodate a wellness/fitness center, update plumbing, renovating restrooms and laundry facilities at a dorm, and installation of electricity, an elevator and plumbing for a new single-story, 15-bed facility.
“These grants not only help improve affordable housing for underserved populations, the monies help generate much needed construction jobs as grant recipients hire contractors to complete renovations and upgrades to their properties,” said Winston.
Providers in Brown, Calumet, Dane, Dunn, Fond du Lac, Milwaukee, Price, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, Waupaca, and Winnebago counties received awards ranging from $4,729 to $25,000. WHEDA received 62 applications through the housing grant competition this year totaling $1,335,654 in funding requests, an indication of the high demand in Wisconsin.
The annual Housing Grant competition is funded entirely by WHEDA reserves using no state tax dollars. Grants are awarded through WHEDA’s Persons-in-Crisis Housing Program Fund to nonprofit agencies, local governments, and tribal authorities in Wisconsin whose mission includes meeting the housing needs of lowincome or disadvantaged populations including homeless persons, runaways, alcohol or drug dependent persons, persons in need of protective services, domestic abuse victims, persons with developmental disabilities, low-income or frail elderly persons, persons with chronic mental illness, persons with physical disabilities, persons living with HIV disease, and individuals or families who do not have access to traditional or permanent housing.
Since 1985, the WHEDA Foundation has issued 974 awards totaling $21,613,000 to housing providers across the state.
Established by WHEDA in 1983, the foundation is responsible for receiving and administering housing grant funds on behalf of WHEDA.
Grants are awarded in one of two categories: emergency/transitional housing or permanent housing.
Since 1972, WHEDA has financed more than 68,000 affordable rental units, helped more than 110,000 families purchase a home and made more than 29,000 small business and agricultural loan guarantees.
For more information, visit www.wheda.com or call 1-800-334-6873.
