'We do not feel safe': Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee under continual scrutiny as security concerns loom

PUBLISHED 3:00 PM ET MAY 06, 2024

MILWAUKEE — The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) has been under public scrutiny for more than a year.

In April 2023, Spectrum News 1 first reported on issues plaguing the residents of HACM’s public and affordable housing buildings. Issues brought up ranged from bed bug and cockroach infestations to trespassing, prostitution and assaults. Spectrum News 1 also visited HACM properties for similar complaints in Aug. 2023 and Dec. 2023.

What You Need To Know

The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) has been under public scrutiny for more than a year
Spectrum News 1 investigative reporter Megan Carpenter visited College Court on the city’s west side, after hearing that residents fear for their safety almost daily
HACM’s executive director, Willie Hines, would not do an on-camera interview to discuss security protocols
Per public records, Milwaukee police have had close to 800 calls to two public housing buildings in just over a year

HACM manages more than 4,000 apartments and homes designated for low-income families, seniors and adults with disabilities in the City of Milwaukee. Those properties include College Court, Locust Court, Lapham Park and Mitchell Court. HACM is the city’s second largest landlord behind Berrada Properties, a landlord with its own sordid history.

In March 2024, Spectrum News 1 investigative reporter Megan Carpenter visited College Court on the city’s west side, after hearing that residents fear for their safety almost daily.

“Let’s say, for example, one of my relatives has a birthday party and I’m coming in after dark,” said Charlene Bell, who has lived at College Court for seven years. “It’s dangerous to enter this building.”