City of Milwaukee - File #: 251449

• File #: 251449
• Version: 1
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Passed
• File created: 12/16/2025
• In control: COMMON COUNCIL
• Final action: 3/3/2026
• Title: Substitute resolution directing the Department of City Development to study the feasibility of creating an Employee Down Payment Assistance Program.
• Sponsors: ALD. A. PRATT, ALD. CHAMBERS JR., ALD. BROWER, ALD. BAUMAN, ALD. WESTMORELAND, ALD. COGGS, ALD. JACKSON, ALD. ZAMARRIPA, ALD. TAYLOR, ALD. MOORE, ALD. BURGELIS, ALD. PEREZ, ALD. SPIKER, ALD. DIMITRIJEVIC, ALD. STAMPER
• Indexes: EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, HOUSING

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
3/6/2026	1	MAYOR	SIGNED
3/3/2026	1	COMMON COUNCIL	ADOPTED; Minutes note: There was unanimous consent for all Common Council members to be added as the sponsor.	Pass	14:0
2/24/2026	1	ZONING, NEIGHBORHOODS & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE	RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION; Minutes note: Appearing: Ald. Peter Burgelis, 11th Ald. Dist. Larry Kilmer, DCD Sreela Srinivasan, DOA-Innovation Office This resolution directs the Department of City Development to study the feasibility of creating an Employee Down Payment Assistance Program for City employees and to report the findings of this study to the Common Council within 60 days. There was discussion on past and current down payment assistance programs.	Pass	5:0
2/17/2026	1	CITY CLERK	DRAFT SUBMITTED
12/16/2025	0	COMMON COUNCIL	ASSIGNED TO

Number
251449
Version
SUBSTITUTE 1
Reference
250001

Sponsor
COMMON COUNCIL

Title
Substitute resolution directing the Department of City Development to study the feasibility of creating an Employee Down Payment Assistance Program.

Analysis
This resolution directs the Department of City Development to study the feasibility of creating an Employee Down Payment Assistance Program for City employees and to report the findings of this study to the Common Council within 60 days.

Body
Whereas, Milwaukee residents and neighborhoods benefit from the presence of City employees living in their communities; and

Whereas, The City’s tax base also benefits from City employees driving demand for housing in the City, and

Whereas, Unfortunately, since the City’s residency requirement was lifted several years ago, the percentage of City employees living in Milwaukee has steadily declined; and

Whereas, Milwaukee and the nation as a whole are currently experiencing a housing affordability crisis; and

Whereas, Many City of Milwaukee employees, especially those seeking to buy their first homes, are suffering the effects of this housing crisis; and

Whereas, The Department of City Development administers the Milwaukee Home Down Payment Assistance Program, which was established in 2021 to provide grants to eligible first-time homebuyers; and

Whereas, In 2024 alone, the Down Payment Assistance Program provided over 300 grants, totaling over $1.9 million in assistance, to first-time homebuyers,; and

Whereas, Creation of a similar down payment assistance program aimed at City employees could mitigate the effects of the housing affordability crisis on City employees, enabling them to purchase their first homes in the City and strengthening Milwaukee neighborhoods and the City’s tax base; and

Whereas, The 2026 Budget was adopted by Common Council File Number 250001 on November 7, 2025; and

Whereas, Amendment 21 placed a footnote in the 2026 Budget directing the Departmen...