Harambee Landlord Compact Kick-off Meeting Inspires
Feb 23rd, 2010
Managing property in the City of Milwaukee can have its challenges. Even though a landlord may maintain his or her property to code and follow rental best practices, they may have little control over neighboring properties. Dilapidated buildings, board-ups, debris, nuisance vehicles, drug dealing, prostitution, gang activity; the list goes on. As an individual property owner it can be extremely difficult to address these problems while trying to run a profitable business. This is why landlord compacts are formed and maintained. In fact, some Milwaukee landlord compacts have been running for 5 or 10 years or more.
The first Harambee Neighborhood landlord compact meeting was held on Monday, February 22nd and was a big success. With many people in attendance, Cacy Williams, Safe & Sound AmeriCorps VISTA, opened up the meeting by introducing herself and explaining the basis for the meeting. She provided the reasoning behind a landlord compact and how it offers a forum for landlords to come together to share information with each other. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for guest speakers who provide in-depth information relevant to property owners.
The first speaker was Nannette Smith of the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative. She thanked the landlords for coming and urged them to take ownership of the Harambee Neighborhood Landlord Compact for their own benefit, as well as for the community. Property owners in attendance were receptive to this message. Ben Wesson, the Assistant District Attorney with the Community Prosecution Unit at Milwaukee Police District 5, explained the 80-10 ordinance. The ordinance applies to the City of Milwaukee and addresses criminal nuisance properties. A property is deemed a “nuisance” when there are three or more verified complaints of noise, drug dealing, prostitution, gunshots or other serious issues. He spoke about how the CPU needs to work with landlords to create safer neighborhoods in District 5. Ben also talked about how District 5 and community collaborators including Safe & Sound are in the planning phase for an anti-crime initiative involving property owners for this summer.
When we opened the floor for questions landlords asked excellent questions about why the compact is being created, who was invited, and how the attendance could be increased. Ben and Nannette promised their support of the compact and any assistance they could offer through the District Attorney’s Office and the Harambee Great Neighborhoods Initiative. Cacy let the group know about the next meeting and encouraged them to invite their fellow landlords. Everyone left with anticipation of what will happen at the next meeting; and assured each other they would be back.
DOWNLOAD: Harambee Landlord Compact Schedule
