MILWAUKEE—A long-vacant building on Milwaukee's west side is getting a new purpose — providing affordable homes while also giving people in crisis a safe place to stabilize.
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Phoenix Residential, at 2436 N. 50th St. near 50th and North, includes 21 affordable apartments and 10 crisis housing units.
For Jamie Gray, with KG Development Group, the idea behind the project is simple.
"Housing is the first prescription in healthcare," Gray said.
"If you don't have a stable place to lay your head, you can't really think about anything else," Gray said.
Affordable housing and a place to stabilize
The two types of housing at Phoenix Residential serve different purposes.
The 21 affordable apartments are long-term rental units. Project leaders say rents range from about $575 to $1,300 depending on the unit and household income.
Anthony Kazee, strategic lead for KG Development Group, said the affordable apartments are intended for households earning 60% or less of the area's median income. Some units will also be supported by Milwaukee County rental assistance vouchers.
The 10 crisis units are different. They are designed to give people facing housing instability and other challenges a safe place to stay while they receive support and work toward more permanent housing.
People will not apply directly for those units. Referrals will come through Milwaukee County and Aurora Health Care.
Gray said the goal is not to put an arbitrary deadline on someone who is still trying to regain stability.
"It doesn't do anybody any good to say, 'six months, you're done and you didn't complete the program.' We want to get people constantly moving forward," Gray said. "And so when you ask me if there's a time limit, there's no specific time limit. There's just the limit to get you to your next space and whatever that looks like for the individual."
Giving a historic building a new purpose
Milwaukee County invested more than $1.3 million in Phoenix Residential.
The building once served as Milwaukee's Jewish Home for the Aged. Nearly a century later, developers have transformed the long-vacant property into housing again.
For Kazee, a Milwaukee native and Black developer, restoring the building carries meaning beyond the 31 units inside it.
"To show that people who look like us, you know, can also do the same thing too, you know, that I was a black developer that did this. Uh, the building doesn't have to be vacant in the community, you know, when stuff is vacant, you know, it causes a lot of other things," Kazee said.
The City of Milwaukee has described Phoenix Residential as a first-of-its-kind model in Wisconsin because it combines permanent affordable housing with short-term crisis units and supportive services under the same roof.
A neighbor who knows what starting over feels like
For people living around Phoenix Residential, the impact will ultimately be measured by what happens after residents begin moving in.
Neighbor Darius Browner knows firsthand what housing instability can mean.
Browner said he previously lost his own place and had to relocate. He sees Phoenix Residential as an opportunity for someone going through a similar struggle.
"It'll be a great, a great stepping stone for somebody," Browner said.
A need that extends beyond one building
Elmer Moore Jr., CEO and executive director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, said Phoenix Residential adds needed housing, but the shortage extends far beyond one Milwaukee neighborhood.
"We need more people who have places to afford that they can live safely, comfortably, and stably," Moore said. "Too many neighborhoods across the state need investments like this. So why here? Because it needed it."
Milwaukee County has also committed eight project-based housing vouchers to Phoenix Residential. Those vouchers are intended to keep some of the apartments affordable for households with particularly low incomes.
Phoenix Residential is now preparing to welcome its first residents.
HOW TO APPLY
Phoenix Residential is managed by TEAM Management and offers income-restricted 2- and 3-bedroom apartments at 2436 N. 50th St. in Milwaukee.
People interested in the 21 affordable apartments can apply through TEAM Management's online applicant system. Income restrictions apply.
TEAM Management
Phone: 414-273-8326
Email: team@teammanagement.net
The 10 crisis housing units are not filled through the regular apartment application process. Residents for those units are referred through Milwaukee County and Aurora Health Care.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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