Growing MKE is Not the solution for the housing crisis

Many of our readers probably first heard of the Growing MKE plan when it was resoundingly rejected by the Common Council after resistance by organizations like Metcalfe Park due to a lack of public input for the plan. What was expected to be a quick approval turned into an outpouring of public resistance. Now the implementation of Growing MKE has been put on hold for the time being as the City works to respond to these critiques. That being said, the majority of the initial critiques surrounding the plan had to do with the public input process (or rather the lack thereof) rather than the content of the plan itself. So, it is completely understandable that many are left wondering what exactly is Growing MKE? 

In their own words, Growing MKE  “is a citywide planning effort that is setting a framework for housing growth and choice in Milwaukee. The project will result in a proposed amendment to the Citywide Policy Plan and updates to the City’s Zoning Code.” Essentially it is a two phase plan that will first set guidelines for future housing construction in the city of Milwaukee and then in the second phase will make actual updates to the city’s zoning code. For those who are not city planners, zoning is essentially the laws that dictate what type of property can be built where within the city. For example, the zoning code could allow for a single family home to be built, but not an apartment complex. Or it could prohibit/allow a smaller home/cottage to be build on a lot in addition to a duplex or single family home. The plan rightfully acknowledges the racist history behind zoning in Milwaukee where predominantly black and brown neighborhoods were discriminated against and redlined into specific areas. The plan also rightfully acknowledges that one of the complicating factors in the housing crisis is an overabundance of single family homes and a distinct lack of housing variety, as the city law actively discouraged the building of any type of housing that was not single and two family homes (Page 16-17). Growing MKE’s plan for addressing this issue is changing the zoning codes throughout Milwaukee to allow for a greater diversity of housing types to be built. Instead of favoring homes only designed for 1-2 families, it wants to allow for a greater variety of housing types to be built (apartment complexes, condos, smaller units, condos, etc…). Straightforward enough right?

The other aspect of the plan, the adjusting of Milwaukee housing policy,is a little more abstract. Rather than adjusting concrete policy, it instead suggests the ‘mindset’ that the city should adapt when making housing policy decisions. The plan has five key goals it wants Milwaukee housing policy to support: 1. Housing equity and choice, 2. Economic Development with family supporting jobs and thriving businesses, 3. A walkable and connected city, 4. Healthy and safe housing stock, 5. Sustainable and climate resilient housing.

On the surface, these can seem like applaudable goals and the plan is also filled with ‘progressive’ buzzwords like ‘anti-displacement’, ‘equity’, etc… it seems like it is a move in the right direction, until one realizes that it lacks any real teeth to enforce these values. And here it can be helpful to take a quick step back and clarify from a higher level what Growing MKE does and does not do as a plan.

Growing MKE itself acknowledges that it alone will not “Solve the affordability crisis, or directly set the price of new and existing homes” and we fully agree. The plan does not make many sweeping changes and instead plays it safe. The plan is essentially guidelines and suggestions, rather than concrete binding policy. Yes, the zoning portion will ALLOW for the building of (much needed) more diverse housing in Milwaukee, which is a step in the right direction, but it gives no guarantees that it will actually happen. Housing construction will still depend on predominantly for-profit developers and landlords, who always prioritize their own profits above all else. As long as we continue to treat housing like any other good that can be bought and sold (instead of as a basic human right), we will always only get more housing supply and lower rents when it is convenient for profits, regardless of what the zoning code says.  

While the plan certainly will give activists something to point to when advocating that the city defend its residents (anti-displacement, etc…), one only needs to look at how the city is currently handling negligent landlords and vacant lots to realize that, while the plan certainly uses all the ‘right’ language, we should not expect it to drastically shift anything for Milwaukee’s housing. The city, in fact, already has an anti-displacement plan on the books, but you would never know it, right? Because it is just non-binding guidelines. We can expect the toothless guidelines of Growing MKE to be just about as effective as this anti-displacement plan. 

Maybe Growing MKE will help prompt the building of more housing that is not single family, but unless we push for the city to actually follow through on the ‘social-justice’ language of the plan, it will have only a marginal impact on the affordability crisis. Milwaukee already has a huge issue with vacant lots (which are increasingly being bought up by out of state landlords) and abusive landlords. The city has clearly shown that, unless it is pressured by activists, it will drag its feet on holding any of these landlords to account. That is why initiatives like Right to Counsel and tenant organizing are a much more effective tool for holding landlords accountable and improving living conditions. The Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union (MATU) led the charge and after 3 plus years of organizing won a lawsuit against notorious Milwaukee slumlord Joe Berrada for 1.7 million dollars. These types of initiatives have more of a direct impact on the living conditions of Milwaukeeans than anything contained within the current version of Growing MKE. 

So where do we go from here? In response to public outcry, Growing MKE is currently collecting more public input and conducting a harm analysis regarding the impacts of the plan. If all goes smoothly, it will eventually go to the Common Council for approval. It is important to keep an eye on how the plan is progressing and especially what the harm analysis plan says once it is published. While the plan itself may have little impact, the harm analysis and the policy guidelines update could provide potential tools for activists to pressure the city to actually follow through with the plans supposed ‘values.’ Milwaukee and the wider United States are in a housing crisis and we need more housing that reflects a diversity of living situations and family structures. Single family homes are based on an outdated and frankly oppressive view of what ‘family’ is. Plans like Growing MKE can move the needle a little on this, but much more will be needed if we truly want to solve the housing affordability crisis. 

Note that we at Milwaukee Beagle are not city-planning experts, but have spoken with some regarding the plan in preparation for this article. That being said, please let us know at MilwaukeeBeagle@gmail.com if our analysis of the plan is incorrect or missing something. Keep following us for more updates as the Growing MKE plan continues to move forward.