6:15pm at city hall on Tuesday January 3rd there is a public hearing on the proposed rezoning of the 1100 Milwaukee property to allow it to become low-income housing.

Please reach out to your alderperson letting them know what you think either at the meeting or before. Right after the meeting, they will be voting on the zoning change. After going to most of the planning commission meetings this feels like it will be rubber stamped unless people push back.

I personally do not support this project:

1. I do not think that low-income housing in downtown South Milwaukee helps the downtown area. Based on Wisconsin Housing data, 68% of low-income housing renters make less then 30% of the areas median income, (less then 18k per year)
   How is having so many low-income earners right in the middle of downtown going to help bring downtown back? IMHO it will just further depress the area.
2. South Milwaukee has a higher percentage of renters than Wisconsin. Already in the downtown area the Kane building is being refurbished to be low income apartments. There are 2 other apartment complexes currently being developed in the downtown area. And the old BP station has plans to be apartments as well.
3. A large number of these proposed apartments will be of low quality. During winter lower-level apartments on the back of the high-rise building wont have direct sunlight. And their windows will be facing a dark ally with a great view of a commercial building wall.
4. This will be forever, the low-income credit requirements last 15-30 years. When the tax credits expire (after 15-20 years) how much maintenance will be done by the owners? They will do the very minimum required by law because there wont be enough rent income to support keeping the property up, which will just further deteriorate the downtown area.