2022 Milwaukee Housing Conditions Report

Report by Reclaiming our Neighborhoods, Data You Can Use
April 30, 2023

Data You Can Use   (Milwaukee)

Data You Can Use and the Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods Coalition published their first Milwaukee Housing Conditions Report. The exterior housing conditions data from the surveys has been joined to parcel information from the City of Milwaukee by the REGRID team, including information about ownership and tax delinquency status from open data made available by the City of Milwaukee.

Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods  is a highly effective coalition of 11 neighborhood partner organizations representing 15 neighborhoods, working alongside City of Milwaukee partners and housing agencies with the mission to improve the quality of housing in Milwaukee through data-informed, resident-engaged strategies and actions. Data You Can Use proudly serves as RON’s data partner for the housing surveys.

Key Findings

  • Of all the residential and mixed-use properties, 3,818 - nearly a quarter - needed at least one major repair. Almost 15% - 2,486 properties - needed multiple major repairs.
  • The percentage of investor-owned residential properties that need multiple major repairs is nearly double the percentage of owner-occupied homes that need multiple major repairs.
  • While more than half of the properties surveyed were investor-owned, they disproportionately represent nearly two-thirds of the properties that need multiple major repairs.
  • About 15% of the homes surveyed, or 2,537 properties, may have an increased risk of lead exposure since they were built prior to 1979 and were noted as having deteriorating exterior paint conditions.
  • The total investment needed across the 15 neighborhoods is $54,094,700, using estimated average costs for the major exterior repairs identified
  • Investor-owned properties are more likely to need major repairs, according to data from 20,000 properties across 15 neighborhoods.