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WHAT IS OPPORTUNITY MKE?
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Opportunity MKE helps families move to low-poverty, high-opportunity neighborhoods and communities where children and families can have the best opportunity to thrive. The housing mobility program helps families with Housing Choice Vouchers find homes in opportunity areas in the greater Milwaukee area. These are neighborhoods in the Milwaukee area that have historically been difficult for families with vouchers to move into for a variety of reasons, including, for example, rental prices being outside of families’ price ranges, or because property owners are not very familiar with the voucher program. Many families with vouchers want to move into opportunity areas because they offer high-performing schools and other public amenities.
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Families with vouchers from the Milwaukee County Housing Authority can sign up to be selected for the program. To assist families in moving to opportunity areas, families receive pre- and post-move coaching. They also receive housing search assistance and financial assistance to help cover the security deposit and some other move-related expenses.
Partners include Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, the Milwaukee County Housing Authority, the Opportunity Neighborhood Network, and housing providers.
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WHAT IS HIGH-OPPORTUNITY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
High-opportunity generally means neighborhoods with high performing schools, access to employment, low rates of violent crime, and access to other amenities like parks and grocery stores.
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Research has shown that children from families that move from high poverty to high-opportunity neighborhoods are more likely to have significantly higher income, go to college, and less likely to be a single parent. Additional research shows mental and physical health benefits, like reduced rates of asthma, diabetes, and obesity.
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PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Services for Families
Families work with an Opportunity MKE staff member who will discuss your family’s housing and community needs, develop a family preparation plan, assist with any removing barriers that would keep your family from being a competitive candidate for tenancy, work with you to conduct your housing search, and assist you in contacting property owners.
We can only assist families in finding homes in designated opportunity areas which can be identified on the map provided below. There are high-opportunity areas all over the greater Milwaukee area, both in the suburbs and in the City of Milwaukee.
Benefits offered:
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Pre-move support: Help with thinking through which neighborhoods are the best fit for you and your family. The program will also help you get ready to put in applications. That looks different for every family. It might mean attending one or more workshops or getting additional support from one of our partner agencies.
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Housing search assistance: Help finding properties in opportunity areas.
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Move-related financial assistance: Help with paying the security deposit and some other move-related expenses.
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Faster processing: Our staff can help you and the property owner fill out the paperwork and efficiently process it at the housing authority.
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Post-move support: Offered in the form of information and resources about your new neighborhood.
If you have a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) from Milwaukee County Housing Authority and you are interested in Opportunity MKE, contact us today at opportunity@fairhousingwisconsin.com or 414-278-1240. Check out our informational flyer here.
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WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
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Are you or do you:
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Have at least one child age 17 or younger?
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Interested in moving to a high-opportunity area?
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Have a voucher issued by the Milwaukee County Housing Authority?
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Meet all the housing choice voucher program eligibility guidelines, or in compliance with all voucher program guidelines?
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Not currently reside in a high-opportunity area?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
HAVE YOU EVER….
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Wished for a safe neighborhood for you and your children?
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Hoped for a high-performing school for your children?
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Wanted access to good grocery stores? Parks and green space?
ZIP CODE MATTERS FOR KIDS.
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Families that move from high-poverty to high-opportunity neighborhoods increase the likelihood that, later in life, children in those families will:
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Earn significantly higher income
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Go to college
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Have reduced rates of asthma, diabetes and obesity
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Opportunity Areas in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties
The map below shows areas of opportunity in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties.
Areas shaded blue denote high opportunity areas, or areas with high performing schools, access to employment, low rates of violent crime, and access to other amenities.
