The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee is working hard to "raise the bar" for quality by providing accessible, affordable housing for low-income families. It also is pioneering to provide services comparable to those in the private market for low-income senior citizens by creating the nation's first assisted-living public housing development.

Area residents were joined by HUD Regional Director Joe Galvan (3rd from left), Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist, and other dignitaries for the ribbon cutting.

Last month, the City held a ribbon cutting for the Townhomes at Carver Park, an attractive 122-unit mixed-income, accessible development. The total development also provides market rate housing and has economically integrated Milwaukee's Carver Park neighborhood. The townhomes offer a high level of accessibility for residents and visitors with disabilities, and can serve families that need from two to five bedrooms. In all, there are 51 public housing units, 51 tax credit rentals and 20 market rate units. Another distinguished housing development the city takes pride in is Lapham Park, a near-by elderly high-rise public housing project that the housing authority has redeveloped to be the nation's first assisted-living public housing.

The new townhomes were built on the site of the former Lapham Park family housing development, and mirror the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood. The Townhomes at Carver Park project was funded in part with a $9.1 million HUD HOPE VI grant. The Housing Authority combined the HOPE VI grant with Affordable Housing Tax Credits and other funding sources as part of a creative public/private/non-profit partnership.

In addition to the townhomes, the project includes 20 homes in the surrounding neighborhood that are available for sale to low- and moderate-income families under Milwaukee Housing Authority's homeownership program. The Housing Authority also has undertaken a comprehensive public safety program in the neighborhood, which adjoins the rehabilitated Lapham Park assisted-living development.