The state will spend $2 million to help eliminate blighted property in Milwaukee.
A few months ago, Gov. Scott Walker sliced a few million dollars from the state budget that would have gone to Milwaukee and other cities to knock down vacant blighted property. Several cities have been clamoring for the money, worried that abandoned homes drive down property values and lead to an increase in crime.
Now Walker will have the state Department of Financial Institutions use $2 million from various legal settlements to help Milwaukee remove dilapidated buildings. Walker says there have increasing concerns about public safety in Milwaukee.
“I want to stress that overall, Milwaukee is a very good city – there are a lot of good things happening,” says Walker. “But certainly certain pockets of the city are very grave concerns.”
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has been calling on Walker for more than a year to steer more blight elimination funds to the city. The former Democratic candidate for governor praises Walker’s announcement, but the mayor says he's not done asking.
“I don’t view this as a partisan issue at all,” says Barrett. “This is an issue about neighborhoods, about public safety, and about property values.”
Milwaukee can use the new funds for both city and privately owned homes or commercial property. No more than $10,000 – about 80 percent of demolition costs – can go to any site.
