The Social Development Commission’s main office on North Avenue remains closed in mid-May. (Photo by Meredith Melland)
By Meredith Melland
Many questions remain since the Social Development Commission, or SDC, closed its doors in late April, halting a variety of social services and laying off employees.
The SDC Board of Commissioners met Thursday evening to discuss how to restart some of SDC’s programs, with most of its time spent in closed session, but did not take any action.
Before going into closed session, board chair Barbara Toles said that the board would discuss a plan to pay employees who are owed paychecks and any immediate bills that need to be paid.
“… We’re going to work on a plan of action so that we can work on what does it look like in terms of us being able to reopen SDC as soon as possible,” she said.
After the meeting, Commissioner Terese Caro said she expects the board to spend the next few meetings working mostly in closed session while commissioners continue their discovery phase and deal with sensitive information.
(You can find previous NNS’ stories about SDC services, tax preparation and other topics at the bottom of this story.)
Here’s what else we have learned:
Tax wait continues, but appointments are coming
Calvin Mosley, 65, is one of many Milwaukee residents still waiting to find out what happened to the income tax documents they left with SDC.
“I’m sitting here wondering where my tax information is,” Mosley said. “I took my paperwork to (SDC) in February.”
He said the last time he heard from SDC was in early April, when he stopped in and was told that the agency was backlogged and would give him a call.
“Now I’m in limbo,” Mosley said. “I don’t know if I’ve been penalized. I don’t know anything.”
The regional office of the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, now has SDC’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program files, Sulton said.
The IRS, La Casa de Esperanza and volunteers are spearheading an effort to complete the tax cases of SDC’s VITA clients, Sulton said, but they have not released a schedule for appointments or communications.
The organizations have tax client contact information and will reach out to schedule appointments, so clients do not have to contact the organizations.
“Hopefully, next week or shortly thereafter, they should be receiving communications from the IRS and La Casa about how they can get their taxes filed,” Sulton said.
Neighborhood Improvement Project suspended
Jeremy McGovern, certification and communications coordinator for the City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services, said the SDC’s abrupt closing was surprising.
The city’s Neighborhood Improvement Project works with SDC and other community-based agencies to help residents bring their homes into code compliance.
The completion of eight ongoing projects with SDC is suspended, McGovern said. There are another 10 applications under review.
Homeowners and contractors involved with the SDC’s Neighborhood Improvement Projects have reached out to department staff, he said, but the department does not have answers yet.
“Obviously, the serious issues facing SDC make its reopening a complex situation. We are looking at alternatives for those clients working with SDC while the agency remains closed.”
Ella Wilson had been getting work done on her home through the program to address code violations before the SDC closing.
“They did the roof and railings,” she said. “They got started on the windows and gutters, but no one has been back and I still have the violations.”
Wilson said she wasn’t aware the SDC had closed until she received a text from News414, a service journalism project collaboration between NNS and Wisconsin Watch.
She doesn’t know how to move forward.
“I can’t get through to anyone. I just want the work they started to be completed,” she said.
More NNS coverage of the SDC
Leaders, community members weigh in on the SDC’s shutdown
What you need to know about services after SDC’s abrupt closing
What you need to know if you used the SDC to file income taxes
What do you want to know?
Do you have questions you want answered about the SDC? Thoughts you want to share? We are here for you. Let us know what’s on your mind by emailing us or commenting. You can also text us through News414, and our reporters will work hard to get the answers you deserve.
PrincessSafiya Byers and Edgar Mendez contributed to this report.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.