July 16, 2021
Contact:
Samara Sheff
202-495-8879
Congresswoman Gwen Moore Secures Community Project Funding in FY 2022 Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Funding Bill
Today, Rep. Gwen Moore announced that she had secured inclusion of a total of $857,000 in funding for three separate projects by Pathfinders Milwaukee, Inc., the Benedict Center, and the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin in the Fiscal Year 2022 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development bill. In response, she released the following statement:
“Every person deserves to live in safe, affordable housing. The pandemic has only highlighted this need as essential to one’s health and safety. I am thankful for the work done by these organizations that have long been active in our community and which help ensure the most vulnerable residents, including sex trafficking survivors and young people experiencing homelessness can access the services they need to safe and housed.
“These dollars will greatly benefit our community and help these organizations serve more Milwaukeeans in their time of need.”
“Congresswoman Moore demonstrates her deep concern for women who are victimized by sexual and physical violence and sex trafficking with action. Her placement of funding for the Sisters Program will help hundreds of women in the street based sex trade find hope and begin their healing journey,” said Jeanne Geraci, Executive Director of Benedict Center.
“On behalf of the nine founding co-partners of the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center, we are honored that Congresswoman Moore has supported this important community initiative that launched in early 2021. Since 2018, this group of multi-sector stakeholders has worked together to establish the Center as a physical and virtual clearinghouse. Our shared goal is to connect tenants and landlords to trusted resources to prevent eviction. This investment will assist us in ensuring its sustainability” said Kristi Luzar, Executive Director at the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin (UEDA), the project’s convener.
Pathfinders is honored to be included in Congresswoman Gwen Moore’s FY2022 HUD funding bill. We are eager to use these critical funding resources to continue our work with youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability and through our housing first approach ensure they have the safety and stability they need to transition into healthy and successful young adults. Congresswoman Moore has long been a leading advocate for our community’s youth and families and understands the many systemic barriers and challenges our young people experience as they attempt to secure and maintain safe and affordable housing. She has long recognized that Federal funding too often ignores the realities of housing insecurity that youth face and the resulting exploitation these youth experience as they attempt stabilize their living situation. With this much-needed funding support, Congresswoman Moore has yet again demonstrated her commitment to our mission of empowering youth and changing lives,” said Tim Baack, President and CEO of Pathfinders.
Funding for Pathfinders will help ensure housing stability for vulnerable young people in Milwaukee while helping youth develop effective independent living skills and increasing employment and educational achievement. The Benedict Center’s funding will support the Sisters Program which helps women in the street sex trade/sex trafficking. Funding provided to the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin will support the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center, a resource supported by 9 different local organizations and agencies to help prevent evictions and support tenants and landlords in need of assistance.
Read more about the community projects here.
The FY 22 Funding bill was approved by the House Appropriations Committee earlier today and is expected to be considered in the full House in the coming weeks.
