Milwaukee Area Tenants Union

12/27/2024

11/13/2024

“That’s the standard technique of privatization: defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital.”
— Noam Chomsky

https://www.wpr.org/news/milwaukee-rental-assistance-program-outsourced-private-company-cvr-associates-hud?fbclid=IwY2xjawGhTiJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWN53Fq-0wmPPAtPzTDB-8cjSr27jDmfRvAI-4CDm2GBIYnHoaOGqjv4bA_aem_36ngLDI3RQWFl_IqviY2-Q

Milwaukee's Section 8 housing voucher program will now be run by a private company.

11/01/2024

Check out Tracy Rosenthal's and Leonardo Vilchis' new book, Abolish Rent: How Tenants Can End the Housing Crisis. If you're a tenant who's tired of getting used and abused by your landlord, this book is a must-read!

"In Abolish Rent: How Tenants Can End the Housing Crisis, two cofounders of the LA Tenants Union offer an account of housing, tenancy, the connections between labor and renters’ organizing, and what the authors call the “centuries-long war on tenants.”

More from the interview and the book's importance here: https://jacobin.com/2024/10/tenants-unions-housing-rent-labor

If you're a tenant who's interested in getting involved in Milwaukee, reach out!

🌐 www.matunion.org
📧 [email protected]

10/30/2024

As disgusting as evictions are, there's nothing more grotesque than evicting the already evicted. We should be using our tax dollars to house our houseless neighbors, not to punish them.

This is why we continue to push for expanding the Eviction Free MKE program for ALL and fight for housing for all, namely through the decommodification of housing and the abolition of landlords through the Union. The more of us that come together as tenants, the stronger we as tenants become.

WisDOT said the lot has to be closed for safety reasons, but the decision has the people who currently live there asking: "What about us?"

10/28/2024

Prior to the public Milwaukee County budget hearing on October 28th the county board’s Committee on Finance approved a budget amendment on Thursday that provided $250,000, matching that amount already approved by the city.

While we applaud the move by county supervisors to fund the program, Executive David Crowley STILL wants to, instead, give another $5 Million to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office - the people that conduct evictions!

Make your voice heard at the 2025 Budget Hearing and demand we not only keep the Eviction Free MKE program, but EXPAND it! Our tax dollars should go towards funding our needs, not the police!

The Eviction Free MKE right to counsel program has been crucial for tenants since it adoption in 2021 after a major push from community and tenants union members across the city. Tenants fought to get this program passed and we will fight back whenever it comes under threat!

The tenant class will never relinquish its right to council and will fight for these rights to expanded and for funding to be increased. We cannot rely on the government, politicians, and courts to keep predatory slumlords in check.

Only an organized and unified tenant class can assure that our rights and our homes are protected from slumlords! Join us in the fight for safe, dignified, and free housing for all!

10/25/2024

The Good News: Right to Counsel (RTC) (or Eviction Free MKE) has been amended for likely approval back into the 2025 Milwaukee County Budget, which provides free lawyers to the most exploited and oppressed tenants facing eviction.

The Bad News: Millions of OUR tax dollars are still being allocated to fund programs that hurt us, including police and big real estate.

We could instead use this money to expand RTC and eviction protection for ALL tenants facing landlord violence. We will continue to call for and push for more tenant protections. They have the money (our money) to do more.

10/17/2024

ICYMI, another important piece of news around the last bits of ARPA money (federal pandemic money), which is around $1.75 million.

The reporting of the Common Council’s proposal sounds like it's going to be a big infusion to the Milwaukee non-profit industrial complex, as well as to real estate like Concordia 27 (Near West Partners).

Seems like a modern day example of what patronage system of a sizable American city political machine looks like and how it operates.

The proposals are aimed at leveraging other matching dollars, said Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic.

10/16/2024

Article on Right to Counsel, also known as Eviction Free MKE... They want to cut stuff that actually benefits tenants.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reiterates his intent to cut the RTC/EFM program for tenants:


Meanwhile, Crowley wants to increase the 2025 budget for cops (the people who conduct evictions) by $5 million.

There you have it. Money to hurt people, but not to help people.

Get ready to fight back October 28th!

ANNUAL HYBRID PUBLIC HEARING
October 28th, 6:30 pm
Milwaukee County Zoo, Zoofari Center
9715 West Bluemound Road
Milwaukee, WI 53213

More to come...

The Right to Counsel program has helped thousands of Milwaukee County residents facing eviction since 2021.

10/08/2024

A better world is possible if we come together and fight back. 🌎🏘✊️

🌐 www.matunion.org
📧 [email protected]
📳 414-410-9714

10/07/2024

CROWLEY CUTS LAWYERS FOR MKE COUNTY TENANTS PROGRAM… FIGHT BACK OCTOBER 28TH!

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has left out the Right to Council (RTC) program from his 2025 budget recommendation. RTC gives tenants access to free legal defense against landlords.

RTC was funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, which is why it doesn't show up in the budget. Was this just an “oopsies” by Crowley?

Highly doubtful.

Crowley has had 3 years to work a RTC transition from ARPA dollars to his budget, and even campaigned on it. Like every career politician, he disregards his campaign promises as soon as the election is over.

RTC has been a crucial tool in helping some of the most oppressed tenants fight evictions and other bad practices from landlords. To date, RTC has helped over 10 thousand tenants, especially Black, working class mothers and their children.

In contrast to funding essential services like RTC that actually helps working class people, Crowley's budget instead significantly increases funding for police. In fact, he wants to give the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office an additional $5 million, totaling $64.7 million dollars for 2025.

Although, ultimately, the tenant power movement is what protects & empowers tenants, lawyers are important tools for fighting evictions in the moment. This is why we strongly support keeping RTC funded and demand its expansion.

We are calling on Milwaukee County tenants, members, and residents to join the 10/28 hearing to add Right to Counsel into the 2025 budget!

ANNUAL HYBRID PUBLIC HEARING
October 28th, 6:30 pm
Milwaukee County Zoo, Zoofari Center
9715 West Bluemound Road
Milwaukee, WI 53213

10/02/2024

Love u Cactus Club !!!! Heart 🫶 ✊️

10/02/2024

‼️⏰️‼️TODAY‼️⏰️‼️

📚 MATU is hosting the Cactus Book Club at 5:30pm tonight at the Cactus Club. We will be discussing the book "The Tenant Class" by Ricardo Tranjan, which is available for purchase at the Milwaukee Liberation Center book store (1029 W Mitchell St, Milwaukee, WI 53204). No worries if you didn't read it - We still welcome members and supporters to participate in discussion.

We want to underscore the importance of participating in this event as a means to increase our cohesion as a union and our understanding of how we can best serve the tenant class in Milwaukee.