• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

newsMilwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / LBWN matching grants help South Side residents beautify their homes

LBWN matching grants help South Side residents beautify their homes

March 2, 2017 by Alexandria Bursiek 1 Comment

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Carol and Ezell McQuay stand outside their home on West Greenfield Avenue. (Photo by Alexandria Bursiek)

Editor’s note: This article is one of an occasional series profiling the 15 finalists for the Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs). Layton Boulevard Home Improvement Matching Grants Program is a finalist for the PNC Trailblazer Award, which recognizes an innovative approach to a community problem.

The moment he stepped inside, Todd Jackson knew that he had found his dream home. Jackson and his wife, Sonya Torres-Jackson, both love historic homes and in 2002 they purchased their house on the 2900 block of West Mitchell Street. It was built in 1916 and needed a significant amount of work.

During the last 10 years, Jackson and his family have worked on at least six home improvement projects with the help of Layton Boulevard West Neighbors. Three were grants through LBWN’s home improvement matching grants program, which began in 2012 with grants up to $500.

The program now offers $1,000 and $3,000 grants, depending on the size and scope of the project. All the matching grants are intended to improve the homes’ “curb appeal.” Residents of the Layton Boulevard West neighborhoods of Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park are eligible, and LBWN also previously offered grants to Clarke Square residents through a partnership with the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative.

Carol and Ezell McQuay received an LBWN matching grant to paint the exterior, put block windows in the basement and landscape their home, shown before the renovations. (Photo courtesy of LBWN)

The goal is for residents to “be able to continue maintaining their beautiful homes,” said Brianna Sas-Perez, executive director of LBWN.  “Residents really care about this and they are really proud of their homes.”

Ian Bautista, executive director of the Clarke Square Neighborhood initiative, said the grant program “was a great opportunity to bring resources to neighbors and property owners in Clarke Square so they could do exterior projects.” He added that when one homeowner makes improvements it can encourage other residents to make renovations too.

In October 2015, Jackson and his family began a yearlong project to restore the siding on the east side of his home, while maintaining the home’s historic features. The project, which was completed in November, cost $18,500; LBWN provided a $1,000 grant. Jackson also plans to restore the west side of the house.

LBWN piloted the matching grants program in the area near Doerfler Elementary School in Silver City as part of the organization’s Quality of Life plan, which called for improving the neighborhoods’ physical appearance. During the pilot, LBWN provided $10,000 in grants for improvements on 22 homes.

The program expanded with the help of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, Wells Fargo and the Zilber Family Foundation. Currently, the Zilber Family Foundation provides funding for the home improvement grants. Since 2012, 232 homeowners in Layton Park, Silver City and Burnham Park have received about $239,000 in grants. In total, residents invested $717,495 in these projects, a three-to-one return on investment. Residents in Clarke Square have received $549,338 in grants.

Carol and Ezell McQuay’s home has a fresh coat of paint and new landscaping after the couple received an LBWN matching grant. (Photo courtesy of LBWN)

“When you are looking at increasing home ownership and improving the physical appearance of the neighborhood to help create positive perceptions, it really helps to have a housing stock that is kept up and neighbors who are happy in their homes,” said Erin Frederick, senior program officer at the Zilber Family Foundation.

Bobbi Elizondo and her husband Victor, residents of the 2100 block of 30th Street, received four $500 grants from LBWN. They used the funds to expand and reconfigure their sidewalk, replace windows and railings, and redo landscaping.

To apply for a grant, residents must submit photos of their project and fill out an online application, offered in both English and Spanish. Residents typically hear back from LBWN on whether their matching grant has been approved within three business days.

“It’s a very easy and simple process once you get over the initial fear of starting the project,” said Elizondo. “[LBWN] will give you all the time and energy you need to get your project going. They are very helpful and the turnaround time for their responses is very quick.”

Carol and Ezell McQuay, who live on the 2800 block of Greenfield Avenue, moved to the neighborhood 11 years ago and have received two matching grants. The first grant, for $1,800, allowed them to paint the exterior of their house, put block windows in their basement and landscape.

They recently received another $1,000 grant to repair the stucco on their house. Carol McQuay said that it is important that residents do work to keep up their homes every year. She added that she thinks extra guidance on hiring contractors would be useful for residents.

Referring to the matching grants, Sas-Perez noted, “For some folks it’s sort of like that extra push. Sometimes there’s this project that you really need to do on your house and knowing that there is this incentive makes you decide, ‘I’m going to do this.’”

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Carousel, Home, Housing, Layton Boulevard West, Neighborhoods, News, South Tagged With: MANDI2017

Avatar

About Alexandria Bursiek

Comments

  1. AvatarIan B. Bautista says

    March 3, 2017 at 10:36 am

    Note that any Clarke Square neighbors interested in accessing matching grants or ANY home improvement resources should visit the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative website here: https://www.clarkesquare.org/resources There is an interest form for the matching grants to complete there. We will start taking applications soon. Thanks.
    ===
    Anoten que cualquier@ vecin@ de Clarke Square interesad@ en estas subvenciones reembolsadas o cualquier otro recurso para el mejoramiento de su propiedad deben visitar nuestro sitio del Internet aquí: https://www.clarkesquare.org/resources Hay un formulario de interés para las subvenciones en ese sitio. Comenzaremos a aceptar solicitudes muy pronto. Gracias.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Top Stories

Advertisement

How To …

How residents 65 and older can register for a coronavirus vaccine

Vaccines will be available for those 65 and older as part of Phase 1B of the distribution plan.

More "How To" articles

Advertisement

Recommended Reading

A Vaccine Reality Check

The Atlantic

UWM study on the state of Black Milwaukee describes the city as ‘the epitome of a 21st century racial regime’

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Videos Show How Federal Officers Escalated Violence in Portland

The New York Times

These mayors want to fight Covid-19 and the recession with one big idea: A guaranteed income

Vox

The World John Lewis Helped Create

The Atlantic

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in