Feds' scathing Milwaukee housing authority report; critics respond

By: Jason Calvi

December 12, 2024 4:58 pm CST

FOX6 News Milwaukee

The Brief

The federal government wrote a scathing letter to Milwaukee's embattled housing authority.
1. For residents, activists and city leaders critical of the agency, it's vindication.
2. HACM's soon-to-be-retired head addressed the letter.

MILWAUKEE - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) wrote a scathing letter to Milwaukee's housing authority. For critics of the embattled agency, it's vindication.

The Background

HUD criticized the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee HACM for several things, including not fixing health and safety issues within the required timeframes. The letter also said HACM is not providing accurate financial reports. It gave an example from a 2022 audit.

FOX6 News questioned Willie Hines, HACM's soon-to-be-retired leader, about the $2.5 million discrepancy on Wednesday.

"We do have a forensic audit that is in place now," he said. "In terms of the $2.5 million, we have auditors in place, and I’m confident by the end of this year, when we’re able to report out, that that will be corrected and addressed as well."

What They're Saying

During a previous, cold Milwaukee winter, Becher Court President Betty Newton found problems at the HACM building.

"The neighbor on the other side of me didn’t have heat for almost a year-and-a-half. And the person that was directly over him did not have heat," Newton said. "I'm optimistic about the future, a future that can improve.

HACM houses roughly 15,000 people. Along with those residents, Milwaukee activists and city leaders have been critical of the agency.

"$2.5 million of that money is missing. It hasn’t been fixed in two years," said Common Ground's Kevin Solomon.

"It’s a huge mistake, and we’ve been wanting to be much more involved. We’ve been told over and over again: Your only role is to confirm HACM appointees to the board," Milwaukee Common Council President José Pérez.