Partnerships are the path forward: Milwaukee Soldiers Home a template for success
A panel of representatives for the collaborative organizations behind the Milwaukee Soldiers Home redevelopment project met with acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson Feb. 8, 2022 to discuss the importance of public-private partnerships and how the project is a model for tackling tough issues.
Willie Hines Jr., associate director of the Housing Authority for the City of Milwaukee; Dr. Christina Orr, assistant medical director at Milwaukee VA Medical Center; Eduardo Garza, president for Center for Veterans Issues Ltd.; and Johnathan Beck, development project manager for Alexander Co.; discussed the people side of this community partnership with Mayor Johnson.
“As I came in, I think about those individuals that serve our country, the service that’s rendered here, the partnerships that have been put together to make this possible and the preservation of our architecture and historical places in Milwaukee.” Johnson said.
“Partnerships are the path forward and when I look across this room from private sector, to federal government, to non-profit sector and the city, all of us have come together to make this project happen in order to provide this opportunity to the folks that need this assistance,” Johnson said.
The Milwaukee Soldiers Home project, completed in March 2021, included the repurposing of six buildings near the Milwaukee VA Medical Center into 101 housing units for Veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
“The proximity of the Milwaukee VA Health Center to the Soldiers Home allows ease of access for its residents to receive medical care and positive outreach from other local Milwaukee support services and Veterans organizations,” Orr said.
Milwaukee VA Medical Center as well as all the Soldiers Home community partners are working together to address the urgent needs of all Veterans.
“The completion of this building couldn’t have come at a better time -- no one anticipated COVID. Those who are homeless are at a higher risk for increasing medical issues, especially during the pandemic. And so, with this opening, it allowed them to have safety and not only shelter – but time to really make a home.” Orr said.
Through the Department of Veterans Affairs Enhanced-Use Lease Program, private developers are authorized to lease and rehabilitate underutilized VA property for veteran-related purposes.
“We got to work to raise the funding for the project right away and ultimately used 13 different sources, which is a lot, to finance the restoration,” Beck said when commenting on the challenge of financing the project through multiple sources.
The funds came from a variety of sources that included federal low-income housing tax credits, federal tax credits, state of Wisconsin and federal historic restoration tax credits, federal military construction funding, private donations, foundation support, national and city housing trust fund loans and grants, business donations, local initiatives, and capital management funds.
“It has been great to see this all come together after some really hard work,” Beck said.
The redevelopment Milwaukee Soldiers Home project highlights historic preservation, adaptive reuse, affordable housing, community engagement, and economic development.
“This is a great template for so many other organizations to address pressing needs that we have in all sorts of areas,” Johnson said.
Established in 1867, the Milwaukee Soldiers Home is one of the earliest branches of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, created by Congress and President Abraham Lincoln to care for Union soldiers disabled during the Civil War. The Milwaukee Soldiers Home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.
As of February 2022, the Milwaukee Soldiers Home is at full capacity.