All about Milwaukee’s universal tenant representation program

UPDATE January 2025: New County funding extends universal rep program

A report by Stout on the Eviction Free Milwaukee program found that of the 78% of represented tenants who sought to avoid an eviction judgment, 75% were able to do so.  Additionally, of the 70% who wanted their eviction record sealed, 67% were able to achieve this goal.  The report also estimated that EFM reached about 42% of the income-eligible tenants who appeared in court and saved the County $23.3 million due to avoided costs related to homelessness services, loss of tax revenue from out-migration, out-of-home foster care placements, and other factors.

UPDATE Oct 2024: New County funding extends universal rep program

As reported by Urban Milwaukee, Milwaukee County has invested $250,000 of unused ARPA funds in the County’s universal access to tenant counsel program.  The program had been slated to run out of funding by the end of 2024.

UPDATE: Report shows success of universal rep program

An independent evaluation of Milwaukee’s universal representation program called Eviction Free Milwaukee (which increased tenant representation rates from 2% to upwards of 16%) has found that:

• The following percentages of clients had success in meeting their goals:
  • 76% seeking to prevent an eviction on their record;
  • 72% seeking to seal their eviction record;
  • 70% seeking to prevent an involuntary move;
  • 47% seeking to obtain rental assistance;
  • 42% seeking to obtain additional time to move.

• 86% of EFM clients were determined to have at least one complex case criteria (and 31% had multiple complex criteria), which contradicts the narrative that eviction cases are largely simple.
• The program’s $3 million investment was estimated to save the County at least $9 million based on avoided foster care, homelessness, health and school spending, and out-migration from the city.
• In terms of demographics, 75% of EFM clients identified as female and 76% as Black, which is contrasted with the MIlwaukee County general population (51% female and 28% Black).

The report’s release was covered by Urban Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Background

Milwaukee County has passed a resolution introduced by Supervisor Ryan Clancy in support of right to counsel, and appropriated sufficient funding ($900,000 in 2021 and $1.8 million in 2022, as well as $300,000/year for 3 years contributed by the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County) to ensure that all low-income tenants have access to counsel.  Program information can be found at Eviction Free MKE.

The Wisconsin Examiner, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Urban Milwaukee, TMJ 4, and Milwaukee Community Journal have more on the story.