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1/ Wisconsin’s rent assistance program is failing thousands of tenants trying to stay housed during a pandemic.
This is a #news414 story, a collaboration w @wisconsinwatch, @milwaukeenns & @media_outlier.
The reporting grew from residents’ concerns
http://bit.ly/news414rent
This is a #news414 story, a collaboration w @wisconsinwatch, @milwaukeenns & @media_outlier.
The reporting grew from residents’ concerns
http://bit.ly/news414rent
2/ #news414 is inspired by @media_outlier’s model, using SMS texting to share news & resources, and to build relationships between reporters & residents.
The goal: focus on what is most important to our community & get that info out in an accessible way. http://bit.ly/NNSnews414
The goal: focus on what is most important to our community & get that info out in an accessible way. http://bit.ly/NNSnews414
3/ We text ~10,000 Milwaukeeans each week w resources & the chance to speak with a reporter. People also text MKE to 73224 to reach us.
@jimmygootz @coveragebyclara @al_dikanovic @jmalewitz & Sam Woods respond directly to those with questions & often call ppl up to chat more.
@jimmygootz @coveragebyclara @al_dikanovic @jmalewitz & Sam Woods respond directly to those with questions & often call ppl up to chat more.
4/ Wisconsin’s eviction ban ended in May. Since then, we’ve heard from dozens of people struggling to pay rent and get help.
To make it more complicated, a lot of people told us they STILL haven’t received their unemployment benefits from @WIWorkforce.
http://bit.ly/news414rent
To make it more complicated, a lot of people told us they STILL haven’t received their unemployment benefits from @WIWorkforce.
http://bit.ly/news414rent
5/ As soon as the eviction ban expired, we wanted to make sure renters knew what was up and had the resources they needed to stay housed.
We wrote an FAQ: http://bit.ly/WWevictionban
And shared infographics in English and Spanish on FB:
We wrote an FAQ: http://bit.ly/WWevictionban
And shared infographics in English and Spanish on FB:
6/ After sharing phone numbers and links to rent assistance resources, residents told us that they tried getting help but couldn’t get through the phone lines to the orgs w the funds.
To hear from more folks directly about rent, we made a callout: http://bit.ly/news414-housing
To hear from more folks directly about rent, we made a callout: http://bit.ly/news414-housing
7/ @MilwaukeeNNS’s @PrincessSafiya3 connected w #news414 texter Victor Campbell to hear about his challenges getting rent assistance.
She found he wasn’t alone and revealed that @SDCMilwaukee had a backlog of 24,000 applicants needing help w rent. http://bit.ly/NNSappbacklong
She found he wasn’t alone and revealed that @SDCMilwaukee had a backlog of 24,000 applicants needing help w rent. http://bit.ly/NNSappbacklong
8/ Though @GovEvers gave $25 mil of CARES Act $ for an emergency rent assistance program, housing advocates said the need was way more than the available $.
Even before the pandemic, half of Milwaukee tenants paid more than 30% of their incomes in rent. http://bit.ly/news414rent
Even before the pandemic, half of Milwaukee tenants paid more than 30% of their incomes in rent. http://bit.ly/news414rent
9/ To stay in touch and learn more about how the rent assistance program was working out, we sent a follow-up text to all of the people who had asked #news414 for any kind of housing info.
It had new resources & asked them to share about their experience.
It had new resources & asked them to share about their experience.
10/ The more we learned, the more we understood the scope of the housing crisis. We mapped out a timeline of housing policies to lay out what was to come.
http://bit.ly/news414housingtimeline
http://bit.ly/news414housingtimeline
11/ Our team spoke with every person who filled out the callout form. We learned how complicated rent assistance was. Each person had a different obstacle that made it hard to access the cash that was supposed to keep them housed. http://bit.ly/news414rent
12/ Kelli Walton, who lost work after being infected by coronavirus, hadn’t heard back from @SDCMilwaukee for weeks. By the time she got an email saying she was on a waitlist, it was too late.
Her landlord had already filed an eviction against her. http://bit.ly/news414rent
Her landlord had already filed an eviction against her. http://bit.ly/news414rent
13/ The rent aid app process kept people out for different reasons: Lisa Brady had a roommate; Niesha Joseph had to first apply for energy assistance; Nathan Conner needed help with future rent, not back rent. http://bit.ly/news414rent
Wyconda Clayton qualified for the aid, but her landlord refused to accept the funds and proceeded with the eviction in court anyway. http://bit.ly/news414rent
14/ With the emergency rent program off to a rocky start, evictions spiked this summer above pre-pandemic levels.
Milwaukee landlords filed for 1,447 evictions in June, 17% higher than average, and 1,347 filings in July, 9% above average. http://bit.ly/news414rent
Milwaukee landlords filed for 1,447 evictions in June, 17% higher than average, and 1,347 filings in July, 9% above average. http://bit.ly/news414rent
15/ More than 2/3 of those filings hit Black-majority neighborhoods, although Black residents make up just 39% of the population. In Wisconsin, Black women are at least twice as likely to have an eviction filed against them compared to white renters. http://bit.ly/news414rent
16/ Local MKE orgs are collaborating to help those who fell through the cracks of @GovEvers program but are worried it won’t be enough to keep ppl in their homes this fall.
“We’re filling the hole behind us & there’s a hole in front of us that’s opening” http://bit.ly/news414rent
“We’re filling the hole behind us & there’s a hole in front of us that’s opening” http://bit.ly/news414rent
17/ In addition to the story, @coveragebyclara and @al_dikanovic compiled this renters’ guide breaking down how to access rent assistance and other support to prevent evictions.
We've been sharing tips via texts and IG too. http://bit.ly/WIrentassistanceguide
We've been sharing tips via texts and IG too. http://bit.ly/WIrentassistanceguide
18/ The #news414 team will continue connecting with Milwaukee residents to learn about what’s making it hard to stay safely housed.
The relationships we are building make sure our work can be more helpful to the community we say we serve. http://bit.ly/news414rent
The relationships we are building make sure our work can be more helpful to the community we say we serve. http://bit.ly/news414rent
And as always, you can text MKE to 73224 if you have questions about rent or if you want to share some info with us. #news414
