Milwaukee County starts home repair program for city seniors

Milwaukee County on Monday announced a new program that will offer home repairs and installations for seniors, providing a chance for aging residents to stay safe in their homes and an opportunity for local contractors to help deliver home fixes.

That’s according to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Housing Services and Aging & Disabilities Services. The new plan will provide safety assessments, repairs, home modifications and specialty products installations to county elders and those living with disabilities.

“One of my main priorities is to address the needs of older adults in Milwaukee County and help them live safe, healthy, and engaged lives in the community. Ensuring these folks can live in quality, accessible housing is necessary to do just that,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley of the Senior Home Repair program.

“This new program will provide support to older adults and ensure they are able to easily navigate their homes, remain safe, and age in place. With our older adult population continuing to grow, Milwaukee County is providing more tools to fulfill the desire of our seniors to age in their own homes and live peacefully in their community,” Crowley added.

County seeks contractors to work on Milwaukee homes

The Senior Home Repair program will provide close to $1 million toward home repairs for seniors in Milwaukee. The funding is available through Milwaukee County Housing Services and was included in the county executive’s 2024 adopted budget.

“Thats’s why it’s exciting for us. These are local Milwaukee County dollars,” said James Mathy, the county’s housing administrator. The program will carry out both emergency repairs and accessibility modifications for senior homeowners, which lets them remain in their homes, he added.

Under the program, inspectors go out and determine the scope of work in an owner’s home, Mathy explained. They will give the names of different contractors to owners and the project will go out for bid. Ultimately, the homeowner decides who to award the bid to, he added.

Mathy said his team was always looking for additional contractors including plumbers, electricians and roofers to deliver repairs.

The county has an existing home repair program used in suburban communities, but that one was geared toward general low- to moderate- income homeowners and not exclusively for seniors, Mathy noted. The program uses the “No Wrong Door” approach, which connects residents to all DHHS programs, officials added.

Program includes loans, grants as experts expect aging population to increase

Under the plan, Housing Services will offer no interest loans to income qualified senior homeowners. Loans can cover home issues such as roofing, gutters, siding, doors, windows, electric, plumbing and heating systems. Loan funds can also be used for emergency repairs related to health and safety along with municipal orders.

The county will also offer accessibility grants to those who need home modifications, including accessible bathrooms, access ramps and grab bars, officials explained. Housing services staff will help homeowners with the bid process and oversee progress while work is being completed.

Milwaukee County will host workshops about the Senior Home Repair program on these dates.

• Feb. 15 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Clinton Rose Senior Center, 3045 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Milwaukee
• Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Wilson Park Senior Center, 2601 W. Howard Ave., Milwaukee

The county estimates that residents between 65 and 85 will increase by around 30,000 in the next decade, and the number of residents 85 and older will double, surpassing 30,000 people.

“I applaud our team for developing this supportive partnership between Housing Services and Aging & Disabilities Services to provide much needed support to residents to make their home environment more accessible,” said Shakita LaGrant-McClain, executive director of county healh and human services.

“This is an excellent example of how our No Wrong Door philosophy advances our mission to empower residents to live safe, healthy, and meaningful lives,” LaGrant-McClain added.

County extends Revitalize Milwaukee program for safer homes

Aging & Disabilities Services will provide more funding to Revitalize Milwaukee (RM) to extend the Older Adult Homes Modification Program for Falls Prevention across the county, officials said. The two key program services are Occupational Therapy Assessment and Accessibility Modifications.

Licensed occupational therapists perform assessments for people or people living with a disability to ensure the repairs they receive are as effective as possible, officials said.

Occupational therapists visit clients’ homes and observe how they navigate them, using the Safer at Home Assessment Tool, officials explained. With the tool they mark areas of concern and what remedies can be used to make it safe for the homeowner. RM, a nonprofit that specializes in home repairs, will schedule licensed professionals to perform repairs.

RM will purchase and install specialty products to create a safe environment for elderly and disabled homeowners, officials said. The products modify appliances and other basic household fixtures that are usually a challenge to operate for homeowners who have physical limitations.

RM will install or construct medical assistive devices, ramps, door levers, walk-in showers, handrails, grab bars in bathrooms and washer-dryer unit installation on the main floor of a home, officials explained. The nonprofit works with county partners to buy specialized products and have them properly installed by professionals.