Voucher-Friendly Housing in Milwaukee

HACM serves the city of Milwaukee, operating public housing communities — such as Hillside Terrace, Parklawn, Locust Court, and College Court — along with the Housing Choice Voucher program. Rent in HACM public housing is income-based, set at roughly 30% of adjusted household income.

HACM opens waitlists for public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher program periodically; the public housing waitlist is applied for online at waitlist.hacm.org. Waitlists open and close depending on availability and funding. Check current status with HACM before applying, and never pay to apply.

Whether Milwaukee renters are protected from source-of-income discrimination is unsettled. Wisconsin's open-housing law has been interpreted to exclude Section 8 vouchers from the definition of "lawful source of income," so state law does not protect voucher holders. Milwaukee County adopted an ordinance barring source-of-income discrimination, but the County's own attorneys have publicly questioned whether it can be enforced given state law, and county supervisors have asked the state legislature to change the statute. In practice this means a private landlord may decline your voucher, and you should verify current local enforcement with Milwaukee County or a legal aid provider before relying on any protection. Federal Fair Housing protections always apply: a landlord may not refuse you based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.

Apply through the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) at hacm.org (public housing waitlist at waitlist.hacm.org) when waitlists are open. Rent is based on income (about 30% of adjusted household income); eligibility is generally limited to households at or below local income limits. Call HACM's Housing Intake Office at (414) 286-5678. Applications are free — never pay to apply.