All about Milwaukee’s universal tenant representation program

UPDATE October 2025: Milwaukee County Exec pulls EFM funding from budget; Finance Committee puts it back

In his proposed budget, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley removed all funding for Eviction Free Milwaukee (EFM) despite its popularity, but the Milwaukee County Finance Committee has put it back in, with Supervisor Jack Eckblad noting that “it has proven that when tenants have legal representation, they are far more likely to keep their homes … This is about residents’ stability, dignity, and fairness.”  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more on the funding threat to EFM.

UPDATE January 2025: independent report finds tenant defense program saves County $23.3 million

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.