Community Advocates provides a range of programs and services for tenants and landlords in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. They include:
City of Milwaukee Rental Assistance: Housing Stability Program (HSP): The HSP is a resource for eligible Milwaukee residents at risk of housing instability due to a temporary financial hardship.
Program Benefits
HSP offers:
- Up to 3 months of back rent (arrears)
- Up to 1 month of future rent
- Relocation funds (if applicable)
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for HSP, applicants must meet these criteria:
- Age: 18 years or older
- Residency: Lives in the City of Milwaukee
- Energy Assistance: Completed for the 2024–2025 heating year
- Income: Within the guidelines listed below
- Rent: Within Fair Market Rent (FMR) limits outlined below
- Income Changes: Experienced a verifiable loss of income in the last 30–90 days
- Current Income: Must have current income
- Lease & Notice: Must have a current lease and a 5-day notice
- Contribution: May be required to pay 25% of monthly income toward future rent
Income Guidelines
1 person: $42,900
2 people: $49,020
3 people: $55,140
4 people: $61, 260
5 people: $66,180
6 people: $71,100
7 people: $76,020
8 people: $80,880
Fair Market Rent
Studio: $939 max
1 bedroom: $1,056 max
2 bedrooms: $1,257 max
3 bedrooms: $1,558 max
4 bedrooms: $1,701 max
What You Can Do
The Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center will meet with City of Milwaukee tenants who meet the eligibility criteria for rental assistance and will continue to offer assessment and eviction prevention resources, including referrals for mediation, conditions issues, and case management for tenants with school-age children. If you are eligible for rental assistance, please visit the RHRC to apply -- no appointment is necessary. Walk-In Clinic Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Community Advocates, 728 N. James Lovell Street, Milwaukee, WI. To request special accommodations, call 414-895-7368 or email info@renthelpmke.org.
If your residence has been issued a placard/vacate order by the City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services, the Inspector will provide you with a referral for resources, including rental assistance. Community Advocates will contact you about your situation.
Waukesha County Emergency Rental Assistance: Effective September 26, 2024, Community Advocates has stopped accepting new applications for direct rental assistance in Waukesha County as funding has concluded. Please visit Housing Action Coalition of Waukesha County for resources and support services around housing and homelessness.
Community Advocates Tenant/Landlord Programs: For tenants and landlords dealing with housing instability or lack of resources that could lead to eviction. Click here.
Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center: The RHRC walk-in clinic, located in the Community Advocates building at 728 N. James Lovell Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53233, operates Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. During these hours, tenants and landlords can consult with an intake specialist on a first-come, first-served basis. The intake team will assess needs and offer resources or referrals for rent and utilities assistance, landlord/tenant dispute resolution through neutral mediation, and relocation services. Visit the RHRC, go to RentHelpMKE.org, or call 414-895-RENT (7368) for more information.
Proposed Settlement Agreement Between Wisconsin DOJ and Berrada Properties Management: Community Advocates will be working with eligible Berrada tenants after the agreement between the DOJ and Berrada Properties Management is approved and finalized by a committee in the Legislature. After that happens, we will be able to help these Berrada tenants to apply for assistance. We will send out more information about the new assistance programs as soon as we are able.
