MILWAUKEE — The Rental Housing Resource Center in Milwaukee is helping renters and landlords find solutions before families lose their homes, offering legal help, mediation, and rental assistance all under one roof.
The mission is simple but urgent: keep families in their homes. Behind every file and form, there's a human story, and for many, it's the difference between stability and homelessness.
"I was praying I was gonna get some help and I did," said Jessica Harris, a client of the center.
For renters like Jessica, the fear of eviction was suffocating.
"Not knowing what's next is very, very — I can't even explain how hard it is," Harris said.
Nick Toman, managing attorney for the Housing Team, understands the gravity of the situation.
"It's tough, especially if the person has no friends or family that can help them out. It's a really stressful traumatic experience I wouldn't wish on anybody," Toman said.
Jessica turned to the Rental Housing Resource Center, a place where renters can get help understanding their rights, legal aid, mediation with landlords, and access emergency rental assistance.
"We're here to help you navigate, guide you, encourage you. We will even give you a hug if you need it to get you to where you want to be," said Ericka Crowley, RHRC Director.
The center is on the frontlines as more families face eviction post-pandemic.
"It breaks my heart to know there are children sleeping on the streets, especially when I have mothers come in with 4, 5, 6 kids and they're all sleeping in a car," Crowley said.
Jessica's story demonstrates the center's impact on individual lives.
Watch: Milwaukee's Rental Housing Resource Center offers lifeline to those eviction
"I was going for a surgery, was about to lose everything and someone told me about the program and it was life changing," Harris said.
They didn't just help Jessica with rent, they gave her hope.
"We know that housing is the biggest issue facing people in Milwaukee County, but when we see our clients, we recognize that there are families dealing with mental health, food insecurities, families need help with their children," said Crowley.
"Just a lot of opportunities to help people in need," Harris said.
For Jessica, the help she received brought her stability, and she wants others in crisis to know they're not alone.
"Have faith, it's people here to help," Harris said.
The center says demand for its services continues to grow — but so do the challenges, especially as pandemic-era assistance goes away in September. To learn more, visit the Rental Housing Resource Center website.
"Don't give up, mama didn't raise me to give up, even at my lowest," Harris said.
The Rental Housing Resource Center is also seeking donors to help with funding to continue serving the community.
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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