Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods

06/02/2026

Throughout National Homeownership Month, we'll be sharing more insights from our neighborhood data and highlighting resources that help residents move from renting to owning.
Together, we're reclaiming our neighborhoods—one homeowner, one home, and one block at a time.

05/28/2026

We’re honored to work alongside an organization that believes lasting change starts within the community itself. Bridge Builders continues to create opportunities for residents to shape the future of their neighborhoods. Learn about their impact by taking a look at their social media and website!
https://bridgebuildersmke.org/reclaim/?h

05/26/2026

For 10 years, Data You Can Use has been an essential partner in the work of the Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods Coalition (RON), helping transform resident-collected housing data into meaningful insights that strengthen Milwaukee neighborhoods.

Every year, residents and neighborhood partners walk blocks, document housing conditions, and gather critical information about what is happening on the ground in our communities. Data You Can Use then works its magic — analyzing, organizing, and translating that information into tools, maps, trends, and insights that help drive advocacy, investment, accountability, and action.

Their work helps ensure that neighborhood voices are backed by credible, community-driven data, and that the realities residents see every day are visible to decision-makers across the city.

We are deeply grateful for this decade-long partnership, and for the care, expertise, and commitment Data You Can Use brings to this work every step of the way.

Congratulations on 10 years of impact Data You Can Use — and thank you for being such an invaluable part of the RON network.

05/26/2026

Celebrating this accomplishment and the hard work of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and the residents who made this happen!

05/22/2026

Last week, RON neighborhood partners came together for a powerful strategy retreat focused on the future of healthy housing, neighborhood stabilization, and resident-led change in Milwaukee.

Together we focused on
- strengthening coordinated advocacy
- improving housing conditions
- deepening resident engagement
- using data to drive action and accountability
building a stronger collective voice for neighborhoods

What continues to make RON special is the commitment of partners who show up — not only for their own neighborhoods, but for each other. The retreat reaffirmed that lasting neighborhood change happens through collaboration, trust, and sustained community leadership.

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed your energy, insight, and vision. Thank you Urban Economic Development Association of WI (UEDA) for hosting this day. The work ahead is important, and we are stronger doing it together.

05/05/2026

We’re grateful to partner with an organization that puts community, equity, and opportunity at the center of everything they do. Check out their website and social media pages to learn about their phenomenal work!
https://metcalfeparkbridges.org/

04/23/2026

The push for safe, dignified housing in Milwaukee continues—and residents are making their voices heard.

A recent 3-part series from WUWM 89.7 FM highlights how tenants are organizing to call attention to conditions in properties owned by Highgrove Holdings, including long-standing maintenance issues and code violations. Common Ground

👉 Hear Part 1: https://www.wuwm.com/david-tomblin-milwaukee-landlord-lawsuits-tenants-highgrove

At Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods (RON), we see this as part of a broader pattern across the city. Through more than 40,000 resident surveys conducted across 20 Milwaukee neighborhoods, neighbors have consistently raised concerns about housing conditions—especially in investor-owned properties.

In fact, RON data shows that investor-owned properties are nearly twice as likely to need major repairs compared to owner-occupied homes.

This moment underscores something important: when residents document their experiences and speak collectively, it brings greater visibility to issues that too often go unaddressed.

Everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home.

David Tomblin, founder of Highgrove Holdings, owns over 200 homes in Milwaukee. His tenants organized to document code violations, leading to lawsuits that threaten to "evict" Tomblin from his properties.

04/18/2026

We’re proud to share our Letter to the Editor in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel—and to lift up the voices and experiences of residents across Milwaukee’s neighborhoods.

Recent action against negligent landlords is an important and encouraging step forward—and it also highlights the broader, ongoing challenges many residents continue to face.

Through our work, we’ve surveyed tens of thousands of properties and talked directly with residents facing serious housing challenges—from lack of heat and running water to unsafe living conditions. These aren’t isolated issues—they’re happening across our neighborhoods.

That’s why the RON Coalition, alongside 11 partner organizations and hundreds of resident leaders, is continuing this work in 2026 with a goal of surveying 40,000 properties.

📖 Read the full letter and learn more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2026/04/12/milwaukee-housing-reclaiming-our-neighborhoods-coalition-survey/89488147007/

If you care about safe, healthy housing in Milwaukee, we invite you to follow, share, and get involved.

The Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods Coalition and its partners are preparing once again for our 2026 parcel survey.