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Past Action Alerts
June/July 2007
(PDF file)
March 2007
(see
the Action Alert in PDF format)
State Budget Season
Message to Legislators:
Basic needs are priority!
In every
odd-numbered year the State of Wisconsin adopts a two-year budget. The
debate about the July 1,2007 through June 30, 2009 state budget is
happening now.
NOW IS THE
TIME to let your
elected officials know what is important. This document provides
background about some issues that Interfaith Conference and CAN have
identified as priorities.
In each
budget season the process starts with the state’s governor. The
governor proposed a two-year budget and submits it to the State
Legislature (this year’s budget is more than 1,700 pages long and
includes over $57 billion in spending and revenue).
The
legislature re-crafts the budget via the Joint Finance Committee. This
committee is always comprised of an equal number of members from the
Assembly and Senate. Given that the Senate is controlled by one party
and the Assembly by the other, the Joint Finance Committee has an 8-8
makeup in terms of party affiliation.
Several
Milwaukee-area legislators are on this very important and influential
committee. Included are Sen. Alberta Darling, Sen. Lena Taylor, Sen.
John Lehman (Racine), Rep. Jeff Stone, and Rep. Pedro Colon.
Once the
Finance Committee is finished each chamber of the legislature can then
change the budget. It eventually passes both houses (we hope!),
sometimes after a “Conference Committee” representing both houses
hammers out a compromise. It then returns to the governor for approval,
veto, or partial (“line-item”) vetoes. It is a long and complicated
process. But it is a process that needs public input about priorities.
Priority
Issues—2007
Please use this as a guide for raising issues with legislators
W-2
welfare reform continues
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The Interfaith Conference and our advocacy program CAN have
monitored W-2 for a long time. It has always been our position
that any welfare reform should seek first to help people escape
poverty, not simply push them off of welfare. Too often W-2 has
left people in poverty with little hope for a better future.
That is why we are very pleased to see that several important
modifications to the W-2 program are included in the 2007-2009
budget. W-2 is now ten years old. When it was launched it was
a first-of-its-kind, revolutionary program. We respectfully
submit that any radically different government program is likely
due for fine tuning, at the least, after ten years.
We
support, and encourage you to let your legislators know that you
support, the extension of the work exemption
to 26
weeks. This provides new mothers more time with their child and
saves child care costs. We also strongly support eligibility
for women in their third trimester of pregnancy who have
medically-fragile pregnancies. Today they are not eligible for
financial support. This is something we have advocated for
several years after hearing from shelters for women about some
very difficult and sometimes very sad circumstances.
We
also support the “Real Work for Real Pay” proposal. We firmly
believe that for many people real world, actual work experience
can be far more beneficial than W-2 community service jobs.
This proposal will make it far more likely that an employer will
provide such opportunity.
Housing Trust Fund
The Interfaith Conference had the great pleasure over the past
two years of working closely with the Milwaukee Housing Trust
Fund. We were successful in seeing the city of Milwaukee
establish a new affordable housing trust fund. That is why we
are very excited to see that
the budget includes the creation of a state housing trust fund
that will provide support to local communities.
We support the increase in the Real Estate Transfer Fee as a
means to support affordable housing throughout the state. We
believe that new dollars (such as these) should support
only
new initiatives in this area. Legislators need to know that we
want current funding for housing to continue as is, with this
new support going toward new and/or additional things. Also, we
support the Governor’s proposal to allow local Tax Incremental
Financing Districts s to be extended in order to support
affordable housing efforts.
Incarceration
If
we want to end the cycle of offense, incarceration, re-offense
and further incarceration we must address underlying causes,
including addiction. For many years CAN has supported
“Treatment Instead of Prison” as an effective way to address
substance abuse and prevent costly (in many ways)
incarceration. The Governor’s budget includes about $700,000
per year for Treatment Instead of Prison. This is good news but
does not go nearly far enough.
We urge the state to go well-beyond the budget proposal and
fully fund treatment alternatives.
This wise option should be available to anyone eligible and
should be widely available to judges and prosecutors as a tool.
Child Care
We are
very concerned
about proposed changes to the Wisconsin Shares child care
assistance program. This program provides child care subsidies
to low-income workers so that they can afford to go to work.
We do not support the proposed increase in the parent’s
co-payment. We are also very concerned about the prospect of
waiting lists, as has been proposed. Imagine looking for work
in the low-wage marketplace and then telling a prospective
employer that you cannot start for several weeks due to a
waiting list for child care help.
We have to wonder; why is it that when the state has to tighten
its belt the same populations always feel the squeeze?
This program is expensive, yes. But in this post-welfare,
low-wage world, it is essential for many working parents.
Health Care reform
The Interfaith Conference is paying close attention to the
matter of health care access and insurance access. This year we
hope to see the state take significant steps toward ensuring
that all Wisconsin residents are adequately covered. The
Interfaith Conference has always strongly supported the state’s
BadgerCare program. Gov. Doyle has propsed expansion of this
program to include more people.
The proposed
BadgerCare Plus
is
an important step in the right direction. Many childless
workers lose jobs due to health issues or are unable to afford
basic insurance. The proposal to include such individuals, and
the inclusion of children whose families currently cannot afford
insurance, moves us forward in helping families and workers to
stabilize in their jobs and live healthier lives. |
Contacting
State Elected Officials
Legislative Hotline: 1-800-362-9472
(can get
you direct numbers, tell you who your legislators are, take messages for
legislators)
Senators: P.O.
Box 7882, Madison 53707
State Reps: P.O.
Box 8952 (Rep’s last names A-L),, Madison 53708
P.O. Box 8953 (Rep’s last names M-Z), Madison 53708
To find email addresses (or to identify your representatives in Madison)
visit: www.legis.state.wi.us
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Governor Jim Doyle:
P.O. Box 7863
Madison, WI 53702
608-266-1212 |
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May 2006
Why we oppose the death penalty:
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It violates respect for
human dignity
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It
is flawed system and biased by race, geographic location, and quality
of legal representation, and is irreversible
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State-sanctioned killing
diminishes us all
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It
is an outdated method of punishment
Background
Wisconsin
has not had the death penalty since 1854.
During the last several years, state legislators have repeatedly
tried to reinstate the death penalty through various means; each of those
efforts failed and never passed the Senate. However on March 7th that changed. The Senate Joint Resolution 5 (SRJ-5) was very quickly and
quietly put to vote and overwhelmingly passed the Senate with a vote of 24
– 8. The Assembly voted late
Thursday May 4 to put a question on the fall ballot asking voters if the
death penalty should be reinstated in certain cases. The
Assembly approved the referendum with a 47 to 45 vote.
Click
this link to find your State Representative
http://waml.legis.state.wi.us
More information on the
Death Penalty issue
For
more information contact
Nicole Carver at 414-275-9050, nicoleifc@sbcglobal.net
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August 2005
ACTION
ALERT
ATTENTION
MILWAUKEE COUNTY RESIDENTS:
Help Save GAMP
Funding
County Executive Scott
Walker is again considering cutting GAMP funding to help resolve the county’s
budget problems. The General
Assistance Medical Program (GAMP) is a health care program that acts as a safety
net for 29,000 low-wage earning Milwaukee County residents. These residents do not qualify for Medicare, Medicaid, or
BadgerCare and depend on GAMP to receive primary, preventative, and mental
illness treatment. However, the
County sees GAMP as an expendable expense because state law does not mandate it
continue funding the program.
Cutting GAMP funding will cause:
·
A loss in preventive care and bring
about eventual serious illnesses resulting in costly use of emergency rooms and
large outstanding medical debt. Hospitals, clinics and physicians will face more unpaid bills
and the cost will be passed on to insured individuals.
·
An increase in use of area
emergency rooms for treatment of mental illness which are costly and
inappropriate providers of service for primary care and the management of
chronic illnesses.
·
An increase in the number of
unemployed Milwaukee residents. Treating
illnesses facilitates an individual’s ability to function at their highest
level.
·
An increase in the homeless
population. Inadequate community
services to persons with mental illness lead to an increase in the number of
people who are homeless and have a mental illness.
1.
Contacting the County Executive Scott Walker to tell him NOT to touch
GAMP funding!
County Executive Scott Walker
901 N. 9th St., Courthouse Room 306;
Milwaukee, WI 53233-1458
Call: (414) 278-4211 Email: CountyExec@milwcnty.com
2. Writing a letter to the
Editor at the Journal/Sentinel expressing your concern, disappointment and/or
disapproval of Scott Walker’s proposal.
Write: Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel, PO Box 371 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0371
Email: jsedit@journalsentinel.com
Fax: (414)
223-5444
MILWAUKEE HOUSING TRUST FUND
It is estimated that 28,000 additional housing units
are needed for lower-income families in Milwaukee.
There is a push to create a Housing Trust Fund as an innovative approach
to meet this need.
Come to hear about efforts that are working, new
approaches and what you can do to address this need in our community.
Please plan to attend and invite others to join you!
To register, contact Heather Dummer Combs at Interfaith Conference at
414-276-9050 or heatherifc@sbcglobal.net
COMMUNITY
SUMMIT ON HOUSING
Thursday,
September 8th
9:00
– Noon
St.
Mark AME Church
1616 W. Atkinson Ave.,
Milwaukee
May 2005 CRITICAL W-2 REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS CUT
FROM GOVERNOR’S BUDGET PROPOSAL
Last week, the state’s
Joint Finance Committee (JFC) eliminated vital components of the Governor’s
budget proposal that would provide significant services to women and families
enrolled in W-2. The Committee's
cuts reduced W-2 funding by approximately $23.6 million over the next two years.
Also, to add insult to injury, the JFC adopted hurtful provisions that
would cause further hardships on women and families.
If these revisions are allowed to stay, they will prove to be harmful to
people who are poor.
New
initiatives taken OUT of the Governor’s proposal:
·
Women currently with no children
(and therefore not eligible for W-2) would be eligible for a cash benefit of
$673 per month if they were unable to work because of a third trimester
medically verifiable at-risk pregnancy.
·
“Quality
Care for Quality Kids” is a star rating system that would determine whether
Wisconsin Shares subsidies should continue to be allocated to child care
providers based on performance rankings earned by individual child care
providers. Currently child care
providers receive state dollars to subsidize day care centers regardless of how
well they perform.
·
Trial Jobs Plus would allow 1,000
W-2 participants in three counties, including Milwaukee, to work in subsidized
jobs with private employers. Because
these participants would earn real wages from private employers, the
participants would be eligible for the earned income tax credit, an income
support which can provide a significant boost to the working poor and for which
W-2 participants in subsidized positions are currently ineligible.
Joint
Finance Committee’s Provisions Adopted:
·
Increase co-payments for child care
subsidies paid by low-income parents by 15% starting in January 2006.
The impact on poor working families would be significant.
This would cost a mother with two children whose income is to 185% of the
federal poverty level, about $40 more per month.
·
Shut down the regional DWD office
at least in part as punishment for not detecting OIC’s financial
mismanagement. By closing the
regional office, current W-2 agencies would be left unmonitored.
ACTION NEEDED
Contact your State Senator
and State Representative NOW, especially if s/he is a member of the Joint
Finance Committee. Tell them the
above W-2 revisions to the state budget are not acceptable!
If you do not
know who your state legislators are, call 1-800-362-9472
or go to “Who Are My Legislators” web page at http://165.189.139.210/WAML/
Joint
Finance Committee Members:
Representative Dean Kaufert
and Senator Scott Fitzgerald, co-chairpersons;
Representatives: David Ward, Jeff Stone, Scott Jensen, Kitty
Rhoades, Dan Meyer, Pedro Colón, and Mark Pocan
Senators: Mary Lazich,
Alberta Darling, Robert Cowles, Joseph Leibham, Luther Olsen, Russell Decker,
and Lena Taylor.
New
initiatives taken OUT of the Governor’s proposal:
·
Women currently with no children
(and therefore not eligible for W-2) would be eligible for a cash benefit of
$673 per month if they were unable to work because of a third trimester
medically verifiable at-risk pregnancy.
·
“Quality
Care for Quality Kids” is a star rating system that would determine whether
Wisconsin Shares subsidies should continue to be allocated to child care
providers based on performance rankings earned by individual child care
providers. Currently child care
providers receive state dollars to subsidize day care centers regardless of how
well they perform.
CAN ISSUE UPDATES
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HEALTH
CARE ISSUES
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GAMP (General
Assistance Medical Program)
GAMP continues to
need your support to save it from the county’s budget chopping block.
This safety-net program provides medical assistance to tens of
thousands of residents without health insurance.
Any budget cuts to this program would be devastating to poor and
uninsured Milwaukee county residents.
The elimination of
GAMP would:
·
Leave the poor and
uninsured without regular preventive care services,
·
Force the poor and
uninsured to utilize emergency rooms as their first stop care,
·
Cause an increase in costs
that health-care providers pass along to insured customers.
ACTION
NEEDED
Contact County
Executive Scott Walker tell him not to make any budget cuts to GAMP.
Contact County Executive Scott Walker at:
901 N. 9th Street
Courthouse,
Room 306
Milwaukee,
WI 53233-1458
Phone:
(414) 278-4211 Fax:
(414) 223-1375
Email:
CountyExec@milwcnty.com
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Community
Aids Budget Cuts
The Joint Committee
on Finance unexpectedly "held over" a vote on Community Aids
last week. There is now concern that some members of Joint Finance
may be considering cuts to Community Aids.
Cutting Community
Aids would be particularly devastating over the next couple of years
because counties are being squeezed by state cuts in other areas,
federal cuts, a likely property tax freeze, and sharply higher charges
for placing juvenile offenders in state institutions.
Without adequate
funding through Community Aids, counties will be forced to make deep
cuts in human services, creating even longer waiting lists for the
programs that aid children, people with disabilities and seniors, some
of this state’s most vulnerable citizens.
ACTION NEEDED
Please contact your
legislators and let them know how important Community Aids funding is to
ensure that vulnerable citizens in our state are served!
For
more information, go to www.wccf.org
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MILWAUKEE
HOUSING TRUST FUND
The Milwaukee
Housing Trust Fund Coalition continues to work on establishing a housing
trust fund in the city of Milwaukee.
Although there is legislative support of the proposal to create a
housing trust fund, the Coalition continues to face challenges in
securing renewable funding sources.
FAITH-BASED
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCACY TRAINING
In June, the
Interfaith Conference will host a faith-based affordable housing
advocacy training. The
"Opening Doors to Affordable Housing: Study-Action Guide for
Wisconsin Congregations", begins with Bible study in each lesson,
and teaches churches to focus on the affordable housing needs in their
communities and concrete ways to respond.
The training will be facilitated by staff from the Wisconsin
Council of Churches. Look
for more details in the mail or check our website. Indicate your
interest to participate by contacting Nicole Carver at 414-276-9050.
ENDORSE
THE HOUSING TRUST FUND PROPOSAL
If your place of
worship is not included on the List of Endorsers of the Housing Trust
Fund Proposal, please sign-up your place of worship or agency by
printing out the endorsement
form found at www.BroomTreeEnterprise.com
(Current Projects page) and return to Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, 1442 N. Farwell
Ave., Suite 200, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
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March
2005
Action
Alert Issues:
Protect
Safety Net in State Budget
Unfair
Auto Financing Class Action Suit
Act
Now to Protect the Safety Net in the State Budget
BACKGROUND:
State legislators are facing important decisions on
the state budget, including funding for the Medicaid budget.
The Medicaid program is a crucial safety net which ensures that
low-income Americans are able to access vital health care services.
Medicaid
provides funding for long term care
services – both for community based programs such as Family Care and for
nursing homes - as well as funding for BadgerCare (Wisconsin’s health insurance program for the working poor) and
SeniorCare (prescription drug program for low income seniors).
These programs provide life-sustaining services to the most
disadvantaged and at-risk members of our community, including frail older
adults, persons with disabilities, and low income families.
The budget also includes increased
funding for elderly and disabled transportation.
Availability of accessible, affordable transportation plays a major
role in determining how independent, productive, and integrated the
elderly and people with disabilities can be.
Transportation services are crucial to provide access to medical
care, nutritional support, shopping, employment, and community events.
ACTION
REQUESTED
Please call or e-mail your
state senator and assembly representative and urge them to fully fund
Medicaid, BadgerCare and SeniorCare, and to increase funding for elderly
and disabled transportation.
Please call or e-mail your
legislators this month.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to
include your full name and home address when you call or e-mail.
SUGGESTED MESSAGE FOR YOUR CALLS
and E-MAILS
I am contacting you to ask that you protect the
safety net for our most needy and vulnerable citizens, by supporting
funding for the following essential programs:
The
Medicaid budget including funding for community based long-term care
services such as by Family Care, and for nursing homes.
BadgerCare, the state’s health insurance program
for low income children and their families.
SeniorCare, the state’s prescription drug
assistance program for low income seniors.
Increased funding
for elderly and disabled transportation to enable the elderly and persons
with disabilities to maintain their independence and health.
If
you have friends or family members who benefit from these programs or work
in the field, it is always helpful to mention this to add a personal
dimension to your message.
QUESTIONS? Contact Barbara at the
Milwaukee Jewish Council via email mjccr@milwaukeejewish.org or
call 414-390-5718
Possible
Class Action Suit against Car Dealerships and Lending Companies
BACKGROUND
In recent
months information has been made public indicating that African-Americans
and Latinos are more often the victim of a secret practice of lending
companies. This is true
around the country, but seems to be a major problem in Wisconsin.
These lending companies, working with the dealers, add additional
interest charges to finance agreements above and beyond what is justified
by the buyers’ credit rating. One
study showed these additional charges are added to African-American and
Latinos’ lending agreements twice as often as other buyers which often
results in them paying twice as much in total dollars.
This practice is not fair and must stop and those who have been
harmed should receive some form of justice.
The
Interfaith Conference has joined a coalition of faith-based and community
organizations pursuing possible legal claims against auto dealerships and
lending companies that engage in this unlawful auto financing practice
when leasing or selling new and used vehicles.
Members of this coalition have met with Attorneys Robert Habush,
Daniel Rottier, and their attorneys at Habush, Habush, & Rottier S.C.
to discuss their interest in this case.
They have indicated a willingness to look into this problem on
behalf of Wisconsin citizens and have asked that our coalition gather
information from people who may have been victimized by this illegal
practice.
November 2004
ATTENTION
MILWAUKEE COUNTY RESIDENTS:
Park
East Redevelopment Plan to be
Considered
by the County
What is
happening…
The “Park
East Redevelopment Compact,” a Milwaukee County resolution
for the development of the Park East
area, has been introduced.
The
Proposal includes:
*Affordable housing will be
created in the City of Milwaukee, both within and outside the Park East area
*Apprenticeships and other
job training opportunities will be created
*Twenty-five percent of
construction contracts will be dedicated to “disadvantaged
business enterprises” (including firms
owned by women and people of color)
*Establishes employment goal
that promotes a diverse workforce
*Milwaukee County will
consider a broad set of goals (going beyond the highest
bidder) in determining land sales within
in the Park East Area.
Why
We Support This Proposal…
The Interfaith Conference is part of a diverse coalition advocating a
community benefits agreement as part of Milwaukee County’s
plan for the area opened by the demolition of the Park East Freeway
on the north end of downtown Milwaukee. The coalition supports
the inclusion of affordable housing, local hiring for
construction and permanent jobs, and a “living wage”
provision for the area of new development because…
Our
vision of community redevelopment is based in a belief that
public dollars and public resources must be used for the public good.
We support development planning processes in metro
Milwaukee that are more inclusive and democratic, that heed
the voices of not only the economically and politically
powerful but also those whose voices are rarely heard.
The quality of jobs, environment and neighborhood services
ought to drive the development at least as much as
the character of buildings, landscapes and trendy businesses.
Our economic life has purpose beyond the multiplying
of goods and profits. The first priority is to serve
the human person and the entire community.
Contact
County Supervisors
to express support for the“Park East Redevelopment Compact”
Call (414) 278-4222
(The
person who answers the telephone call can tell you who your supervisor is.)
or write to:
901 N. 9th St.,
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Also…Call
County Executive, Scott Walker
at: (414) 278-4211
Urge him to support affordable housing, hiring for construction
and permanent jobs, and a “living wage” provision in the Park East area.
Also, be sure to thank County Executive Walker for
including
Milwaukee County shelter funding in this year’s budget.
Continue
your support for the Creation of a Housing Trust Fund!
The need in Milwaukee is great for a Housing Trust Fund:
*Approximately 2,000 individuals are homeless on any given night in
Milwaukee. In 2004, nearly 7,000 MPS students were homeless. One in five
Milwaukee renters spends more than 50% of their income on rent. Nearly 40% spend
greater than 30% of their income on rent. Federal HOME dollars for affordable
housing has decreased 22% between 2003 and 2004.
Housing Trust Fund Proposal
The fund will raise up to $15 million annually to provide
money for the construction and rehab of rental housing for low and very low
income families, housing development and services for homeless individuals, and
homeowner projects in Milwaukee. Revenue is sought from a $1 increase in the
real estate transfer fee and a $1 event ticket surcharge and TIF increment
variation funds. There are nearly
300 housing trust funds in the United States.
Action Needed Now
Write or call Mayor Barrett at (414) 286-2200. Or write him at: 200
E. Wells Street, City Hall, Room 201, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Write or call your Alderman at (414) 286-2211. Or write him at: 200
E. Wells Street, City Hall, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Ask them to support the creation of a Housing Trust
Fund in
Milwaukee.
Statement Regarding Crisis in Sudan
October 14, 2004
As religious leaders in the greater Milwaukee area we are
gratified by the increasing international attention to the crisis in the Darfur
region of Sudan. The systematic murder, rape, and expulsion of people of
African origin from their ancestral homes must stop. We are horrified by
the persecution and elimination of any group based on race, ethnicity, religion
or any other distinction. We have seen this before in the sad history of
our world and we are compelled to speak out now in the strongest possible terms.
If we are silent, this situation could evolve into the worst humanitarian crisis
in the world today. We are concerned that there is too much delay in
ensuring a massive worldwide humanitarian response and in ending the violence in
Darfur.
It is estimated that more than 250,000 refugees have fled the Darfur region to
the nation of Chad and more than one million people have been internally
displaced as they have fled their homes. The violence and terror being
inflicted on the people of Darfur must be condemned by the entire international
community.
We call on the government of Sudan to take immediate and decisive action to stop
the atrocities and slaughter perpetrated against its own people, to disarm the
militias that are terrorizing and murdering, and to allow relief workers to
deliver humanitarian aid without unnecessary delay or restriction.
We call upon the United Nations to immediately pressure the government of Sudan
to take the above steps without delay to stop the ethnic cleansing and prevent
further atrocities and deaths.
We call on people of conscience everywhere to take any and all actions
permitted; as individuals, congregations, and organizations to:
-
Convey deep concern to our Members of Congress and the President,
demanding that they act in all appropriate ways to end the violence and
ensure humanitarian assistance
-
Urge the President and other elected officials and to work through the
United Nations in addressing this crisis
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Encourage worldwide efforts to stop the displacement and end the crimes
against humanity
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Demand worldwide governmental humanitarian support
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Help in the relief efforts by supporting organizations giving aid
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Call for a U.N. Commission to investigate war crimes, crimes against
humanity and genocide
The Interfaith Conference of Greater
Milwaukee is the vehicle through which the faith community collaborates in
addressing social concerns. The Conference is comprised of judicatories
from Islamic, Jewish, Protestant, Quaker, Roman Catholic and Unitarian
traditions.
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Contacting the President and Members of Congress
President George Bush
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
president@whitehouse.gov
Congressman James Sensenbrenner
120 Bishops Way, Room 154
Brookfield, WI 53005-6294
Telephone: (262) 784-1111, (202) 225-5101
sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov
Congressman Jerry Kleczka
5032 W Forest Home Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53219
Phone: (414) 297-1140
Fax: (414) 327-6151
(202) 225-4572
to email: http://www.house.gov/kleczka/email.htm
Congressman Paul Ryan
304 6th Street
Racine, WI 53403
Phone: (262)637-0510, (202) 225-3031
Fax: (202) 225-3393
1-888-909-RYAN (7926)
to email: http://www.house.gov/ryan/email.htm
Senator Russell Feingold
517 East Wisconsin Ave., Room 408
Milwaukee, WI 53202-4504
(202) 224-5323
russ_feingold@feingold.senate.gov
Senator Herb Kohl
310 West Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 950
Milwaukee, WI 53203
Phone: (414) 297-4451
(202) 224-5653
senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov
or go to http://www.kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html
To make contributions for aid to Sudan: www.churchworldservice.org |
July 2004
SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A HOUSING
TRUST FUND
Milwaukee
has a compelling need for a Housing Trust Fund!
Ø
In 2000, nearly 14,000 households (6% of households) in the city of
Milwaukee were overcrowded. (This reflects a 40% increase in
overcrowding from 1990.)
Ø
One in five (20%) Milwaukee renters spend more than 50% of their income on
rent. 39% of Milwaukee
renters spend greater than 30% of their income on rent.
Ø
Approximately 2000 individuals are homeless on any given night in
Milwaukee. In 2004, nearly
7,000 students in the Milwaukee Public School System were homeless.
Ø
Federal HOME dollars for affordable housing decreased 22% between 2003 and
2004. (For
more information, please log on to www.BroomTreeEnterprise.com
and go to the Current Projects page.)
Housing
Trust Fund Proposal
The
fund will raise up to $15 million annually to provide money for the
construction and rehab of rental housing for low and very low income
families, housing development and services for homeless individuals, and
homeowner projects in the City of Milwaukee.
Revenue is sought from a $1 increase in the real estate transfer
fee, a $1 event ticket surcharge and TIF increment variation funds.
There are 257 housing trust funds in the United States.
On average, for every $1 committed to a housing project by a
housing trust fund, another $5-$10 is leveraged in other public and
private resources for construction.
Actions
Requested
ü
Ask your congregation or community organization to sign on as a supporter.
Fill out the endorsement form found at www.BroomTreeEnterprise.com
(Current Projects page) and return to Interfaith
Conference of Greater Milwaukee, 1442 N. Farwell Ave., Suite
200, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
ü
Write or call Mayor Barrett at (414) 286-2200 and your Alderman at (414)
286-2221 and ask them to support the creation of a Housing Trust Fund.
ü
Arrange a speaker for your organization by contacting the Interfaith
Conference.
Questions?
Call: (414) 276-9050
June 2004
Please attend the final hearing about the Park East Community
Benefits Agreement on June 10, 2004 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 301-B, City Hall.
Ø
The ordinance contains
requirements for community benefits in the redevelopment of Park East,
including affordable housing, prevailing wage jobs, local hiring and
training, and accountability.
Ø
A coalition of faith-based,
labor and community organizations has been working for over a year to
support these standards at Park East. The
provisions would apply to developments within Park East that either
receive direct financial assistance from the city, or are built on
city-owned land.
Call
your Alderperson at (414) 286-2221.
Ask
them to vote YES to the ordinance that will create
opportunities
for good jobs and
affordable housing at Park East.
Questions? Call: (414) 276-9050
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