The Milwaukee County Committee on Finance has greenlit a funding boost for the Right to Counsel program, a move aimed at securing housing stability for local families faced with eviction. According to a release from Milwaukee County, the committee's approval paves the way for continuance of the Eviction Free Milwaukee initiative, with Milwaukee County Supervisors Jack Eckblad, Caroline Gómez-Tom, and Juan Miguel Martinez leading the charge.
"Right to Counsel is a community-driven initiative that exemplifies our commitment to ensuring housing stability for Milwaukee residents," Supervisor Eckblad emphasized, highlighting the program's effectiveness in preventing over 14,000 eviction cases to date; this preventive approach is touted not only for keeping families in their homes but also for saving the county a hefty sum in subsequent social costs. Supervisor Gómez-Tom and Supervisor Martinez expressed their commitment to providing equitable legal support to those grappling with harsh economic realities, simultaneously lauding the power of collaborative governance involving various stakeholders in the community.
In terms of financial specifics, the program is on the receiving end of a three-part funding cocktail: Milwaukee County has committed $250,000, which is matched by both the Milwaukee Common Council and private grants tallying to a combined total of $750,000. These funds are earmarked for legal defense of low-income renters staring down the barrel of eviction, while also setting the stage for acquiring additional grants to sustain the overtures of Eviction Free Milwaukee in the long term.
In a related move, the Committee on Finance has advanced a resolution directing the County’s Office of Strategy, Budget, and Performance to join hands with Eviction Free Milwaukee and the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, the aim being to secure ongoing support and grant funding for this housing lifeline. The strategic pursuit of stability in the domestic arena through legal aid reflects a recognition of what's at stake—the well-being of the community knitted into the fabric of the city of Milwaukee—a city striving to shoulder its residents through the pangs of economic upheaval and the ever-present specter of homelessness.
