The Sherman Park community in Milwaukee convened this past weekend at the annual Housing Resource Fair, an event dedicated to assisting homeowners and renters alike in the stewardship of their properties. Held at the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club, this gathering brought together a plethora of resources under one roof. Organized by the Sherman Park Association, the fair served as a one-stop-shop for residents to learn about "how they can improve their homes or buy homes or sell their homes," explained Mabel Lamb, the association's executive director, in a statement obtained by FOX6Now.
With many of the neighborhood's homes cresting the century mark in age, maintaining the architectural vitality of the community has become a pivotal focus for the Sherman Park Association. "Most of the housing stock was built in the early 1900s. Right. So a lot of our properties are 100 years old, 75 years old. So we do want to make sure that they're maintained," Lamb told WISN. The commitment to preservation is just as much about sustaining history as it is about fortifying the future of a long-standing community.
The resource fair did not simply cater to homeowners looking to refurbish and renovate. It intentionally included organizations like Habitat For Humanity to demonstrate that construction materials can be sourced beyond the usual hardware stores, offering a more cost-effective approach to home improvements. For tenants facing unresponsive landlords, there was support available via Legal Action and the Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC), ready to guide them through their rights and repair avenues, as reported by TMJ4.
The fair's inclusive approach extended to financial resources, recognizing that "repairs can be expensive" and integrating banks to wholly assist with loan options for residents considering costly renovations. This is in line with the fair's overarching goal – to ensure not only the longevity but also the advancement of Sherman Park as a place people can confidently call home, for now and for generations to come. It is this deep-rooted sense of community investment that gives life to such an event, one that the Sherman Park Association endeavors to foster year after year.
