Post from Community: New affordable housing development in Milwaukee offers professional guidance for residents’ long term success | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
February 18, 2021
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Thirteen31 Place Apartments will do more than simply offer affordable housing in Milwaukee’s historic Walker’s Point neighborhood. The goal of the 89-unit apartment building is to uplift the residents through empowerment services intended to help them achieve a sustainable, successful life – in the community and beyond.
In co-developing and managing Thirteen31, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS) is providing people with more than just a roof over their heads. Professionals will assist residents with financial literacy, and use their connections within the community to help residents find jobs, secure medical referrals, and cultivate relationships. These empowerment services seek to improve one’s quality of life and sense of belonging.
As a leader in affordable housing and homelessness prevention, LSS advocates for the “Housing First” model, where securing housing is the first, most important step in rebuilding lives.  “Knowing you have a safe, respectable home – with reliable heat, water, central air and attentive management – allows people to focus on other valuable areas of their lives, including their health and careers,” says Dennis Hanson, Vice President of Housing Services for LSS.
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Through Thirteen31, LSS hopes to open more detailed dialogue surrounding the importance of affordable housing in building up diverse, equitable, and productive communities.
Seventy-four of the building’s one, two, and three-bedroom apartments are reserved for those qualifying for affordable housing. The remaining units will be rented out at market-rate, creating a unique demographic that serves to strengthen the area and promote future growth. The diverse residents interacting daily – college students, families and business executives, for example – will foster greater understanding and perspective on living and working together for the common good.
Additional amenities and benefits of Thirteen31 include:
The $17.8 million development is on roughly 72,000 square feet of land at 1331 W. National Ave. Applications for leasing apartments will be accepted beginning April 1, with the official move-in day of August 1. In the meantime, individuals can be added to the “interested list” by sending an email to Thirteen.31@lsswis.org and providing their information.