Milwaukee housing authority tenants say the board chair is hiding from them. They went looking for her.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Genevieve Redsten

Published 9:59 a.m. CT April 11, 2024

As Vivian Jones knocked on the door, a crowd of about 25 people stood back and waited.

But Sherri Reed Daniels — chairwoman of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) — didn't answer the door.

It's been nine months since public housing tenants, organized by local nonprofit Common Ground, first asked Daniels to meet with them. Since then, Common Ground says they've sent Daniels more than 40 emails, and haven't received a single response.

On Wednesday morning, Common Ground staged a press conference outside Daniels' apartment building, calling on Daniels to meet with tenants and hear their concerns.

On Daniels' front door, Jones — a resident of HACM's Lapham Park apartment building — taped a letter from Common Ground, inviting her on a tour of the city's most troubled public housing properties.

"Come out of hiding," Jones said. "Speak with us."

Tenants want to address Milwaukee housing authority board about problems in properties

Inside HACM properties, tenants say, hazards abound: gun violence, drug dealing, mold, rodents, bed bugs.