ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY BY PROVIDING A QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HOME FOR EVERY MILWAUKEEAN

Dear Housing Accomplices:

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As we wind down the final days of 2025, we wish you good health, good food, and time spent with loved ones. Because of the work of accomplices, we achieved much in 2025 and are poised for success in 2026:

 

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• CDA's Resident Advisory Council on Housing (RACH), our staff, and housing allies made the case for Down Payment Assistance (DPA) and the Common Council and Mayor Johnson agreed, including $1.4 million for this program in the 2026 budget.

• DPA and homebuyer counseling agencies helped more than 700 individuals and families to become homeowners this year. We also saw an increase in both Black and Latino homeownership in 2025.

• 18 new homes for Early Childhood Educators (ECE) were completed by VIA CDC and MCC this year, with more coming from Envision Growth and Rooted & Rising in 2026.​

• Herb Kohl Philanthropies donated $1 million to build ECE homes in the Harambee neighborhood.

• The first new duplex homes by Emem Group opened in our Midtown neighborhood Tax Incremental District (TID) that was passed last year, and our Harambee TID to build 59 new homes on city-owned lots was approved this year. We are working on a TID to build new homes in the Amani neighborhood, and will seek City approval in 2026.

• Our Acquisition Fund partnership with Acts Housing surpassed the 150 homes mark in 2025. The fund is used to purchase homes and make them available for homeowners to prevent them from being purchased by outside investors. Our goal (which we met) was to purchase 80 homes in 2025 and to
  purchase 100 homes in 2026 and each year thereafter.

• CDA, The Corridor, and Northwest Side CDC launched a three-year, $650,000 initiative to support emerging and under-represented developers to expand the supply of affordable housing. The first grants and awards will be announced early next year.

• The CDA team grew to five full-time professionals working to advance racial equity.

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The entire team at CDA is thankful for each of you, your support of housing equity, and your commitment that every Milwaukeean who wants to own their own home can achieve that American Dream.

 

Sincerely,

 

Teig