The battle for the patio of College Court

At a troubled Milwaukee public housing development, a padlocked patio becomes a battleground for some of America’s most talked-about voters.

Washington Post

Story by Jose A. Del Real

Photography by Sarah L. Voisin

May 25, 2024 at 4:00 a.m.

Reported in Milwaukee

Their emails to government officials had gone unanswered, their requests to testify at City Hall had been ignored, and now 14 residents of Milwaukee public housing were gathered in a pink linoleum common room to brainstorm how to get attention from the people with power.

“A woman got robbed in the hallway,” one woman said. “I don’t feel safe here.”

“I need to get the mold out of my apartment. I can’t breathe,” said another.

“There are mice everywhere,” said a man.

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Kevin Solomon, a 25-year-old community organizer, listened quietly as the tenants began yelling over one another, grasping for the opportunity to tell someone what daily life had turned into inside the 251-unit College Court Apartments. Its two Brutalist towers were managed by the city’s public housing authority.

“Y’all got to calm down. We can’t all talk at once,” said Charlene Bell, 55, from the back of the room.

Peaches, as Charlene was called, was one of the tenants rallying others to demand changes. Although she moved haltingly without her walker, Peaches spoke with a firmness and clarity that forced others to react. Scrappy by nature, she burned with the belief that things could get better if people worked together, and Kevin saw in her the makings of a great organizing partner.

The group quieted down for a moment before the din of shouting erupted once again.