The Social Development Commission’s main office, at 1730 W. North Ave., will reopen on Monday, Dec. 2 after being closed since late April. (Photo by Meredith Melland)
By Meredith Melland
This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.
The Social Development Commission is finalizing plans to offer Milwaukee County residents vital services such as help buying their first home and preparing their taxes as it reopens next week.
At the SDC Board of Commissioners’ meeting last week, the board announced its plans to restart SDC’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, career services, child care and housing programs on Monday, Dec. 2.
The new effort comes seven months after SDC halted services and laid off employees in late April, leaving a gap in Milwaukee’s services for low-income families.
The 61-year-old quasi-governmental community action agency hosted approximately 30 programs that served about 20,000 people annually, according to its 2022 annual report.
William Sulton, SDC’s attorney, said he expects the agency’s two locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, but he is not sure of the staff’s exact hours.
Key programs to restart
The VITA and career services programs will be operated at SDC’s main office,1730 W. North Ave.
SDC’s location, at 6850 N. Teutonia Ave., will operate the housing programs and the child care food service program, which provides meals to daycare centers.
The housing programs will include first-time homebuyers and mortgage assistance programs.
SDC staff hopes to work quickly with people who were on the waiting list for the first-time homebuyers program, resume providing food to daycare centers and figure out how many people they will be able to help complete their tax returns through the VITA program this year, Sulton said.
“These were the four programs that people said that they wanted, that they felt were the most in need,” Sulton said.
A worker with the Social Development Commission Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program helps a client file taxes. SDC is preparing to reopen four main program areas, including the VITA program, after being closed to the public for seven months. (Photo provided by the Social Development Commission)
Former employees rehired
Sulton said the agency will have 12 to 15 full-time employees.
The staff is mostly made up of former employees who have been rehired, except for two new hires in accounting and one in the child care food program, he said.
“We had to think about who we could bring back, who was running programs well and who was managing the budget of those programs,” Sulton said. “And, how can we do this with fewer commissioners than we’d like and not having a full-time CEO?”
The SDC board currently has four commissioners, with Commissioner Jorge Franco, CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, serving as the board chair and interim CEO.
The agency has yet to hire administrative staff.
Funding sought
Sulton said SDC plans to use Community Services Block Grant, or CSBG, funding to help pay owed employees and cover administrative costs. According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, SDC can still provide services in 2024 and be reimbursed with CSBG funding.
The Department of Children and Families reviewing applications for next year’s funding.
SDC’s 2025 application is “not acceptable in its current form,” but it can be updated and resubmitted, according to a spokesperson from the department.
Sulton said SDC plans to reapply for the funding with the understanding that it is restarting services.
How to contact the SDC
SDC’s email system is not accessible, and Sulton said he is not sure if the phone system is working. He advised anyone interested in services to try calling 414-906-2700, starting on Monday and if that doesn’t work, to visit the North Avenue office.
Anyone with questions in the meantime can contact Sulton at 414-477-0088 or william@sultonlaw.com.