Revitalize Milwaukee to greatly expand its range of services as a mandatory community resource

MILWAUKEE – With new sources of financial support, additional staffing and a larger downtown office  footprint, Revitalize Milwaukee is poised to significantly expand its scope of services as a mandatory  community resource in 2023.  

In addition to its core capabilities of providing free critical home repairs, emergency repairs, and  accessibility modifications for homeowners who are low-income seniors, veterans and people living with  disabilities, Revitalize Milwaukee has expanded to include a Lead Abatement Program, an Asthma Safe  Homes Program and an Energy Efficiency Service Program.  

“This is a call to contractors, vendors, partners and funders to work with Revitalize Milwaukee to greatly  elevate our services to improve the quality of life for so many homeowners in the community,” said  Lynnea Katz-Petted, CEO of Revitalize Milwaukee. “Together, we can rebuild entire neighborhoods.”  

The expansion of services is made possible with the more than $12 million in funding for the  organization from new sources, including:  

• The City of Milwaukee Health Department utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)  funds allocated by the Common Council to complete lead abatement.  
• The Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s Energy Innovation Grant Program to  complete weatherization services.  
• The Wisconsin Department of Health Services to complete asthma education and  trigger remediation services.  
• The State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services to complete lead abatement.
• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to complete accessibility  modifications in the homes of seniors.  
• The Kohl’s Corp. Hometown Giving Program to provide free critical home repairs.  

“These new sources of funding will not fund our day-to-day core operations, but they will enable us  to substantially increase our range of services to remain an essential community resource,”  Katz-Petted said. 

With the additional funding, Revitalize Milwaukee has added the following new team members:  Job Alexander, Data and Analytics Specialist; Verdia Hampton, Homeowner and Application  Specialist; Sabrina Reesman, ARPA Coordinator; Luis Martinez, ARPA Lead Abatement Program  Manager; and Kevin Smith, Operations Specialist.  

The new funding also is enabling Revitalize Milwaukee to increase its office footprint in downtown  Milwaukee, where it will occupy 3,000 square feet of additional space in its headquarters at 840 N. Dr.  Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.  

Contractors interested in providing their expertise to help Revitalize Milwaukee perform vital services  and home repairs should contact Revitalize Milwaukee at 414-312-7531. Private companies and  community organizations interested in providing teams of volunteers to help with the repairs also are  encouraged to participate.  

Revitalize Milwaukee’s mission is to stabilize neighborhoods by providing free home repairs to low income homeowners. Since 2000, RM has completed critical home repairs on more than 3,260 homes  with the help of over 24,000 hours of volunteer time and invested over 24 million dollars into  Milwaukee-area housing. Join us in changing the lives of countless low-income homeowners. For more  information or to get involved, contact CEO Lynnea Katz-Petted at 414-704-1581 or visit  www.freehomerepairs.org.