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Everyone wants safe housing. But what does that mean?
Though the term comes up in many discussions regarding housing, there is no concrete definition. We asked Milwaukee’s housing experts what safe housing is and here is what they said.
Ericka Crowley: Director of Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center
Safe housing means many things to me. It’s equity: meaning that everyone, regardless of income, race, background, or circumstance, has access to housing that is healthy, affordable, and sustainable. It’s living in dignity. It’s knowing that you have a place to call your own.
It’s peace of mind. It’s protection from both outside factors such as crime, violence, etc and inside factors such as mold, lead , infestation, etc. It ‘s financial security, it’s mental wellness, but more importantly, it’s stability.
Erika Sanders: President and CEO of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council
Having safe housing means illegal discrimination doesn’t prevent you from choosing to live in an area where your children can play outside without worry, and where lead paint dust and mold don’t harm your family.
Having safe housing means that you can live free from the fear that your landlord will sexually harass you and make you frightened to be in your own home.
Safe housing means that your neighbors don’t harass or threaten you based on your race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.
If you have physical disabilities, safe housing can mean that your home is accessible in a way that meets your needs, and you can move throughout your home safely, without facing barriers or obstacles.
Patrick Humpal: Data & Logistics Director at VIA CDC
I think when we talk about safe housing, feeling physically safe in your house is often the first thing folks think about. Is the property well-maintained? Is it warm and insulated enough in the winter? Is the electrical work safe? Is the building structurally sound?
This is vitally important for safe housing, though I think beyond physical safety, safe housing also encompasses feeling secure in your housing. If you feel like you’re holding on by a thread and at any moment could face an eviction or be kicked out, your housing will not feel fully safe.
Even if the home is physically okay, living on the edge of being unhoused takes its toll. My hope is when we talk about housing safety, we not only talk about how we can maintain dignified living conditions, but also how we can support folks in staying in their homes and maintaining stability in their housing situation.
Kirsten Pezewski: Attorney for Rental Property Association of Wisconsin Inc.
This is an interesting question to me personally, but also in my role as the attorney for the Rental Property Association of Wisconsin, Inc. RPA is an association of rental property owners, with focuses including educating rental property owners and partnering with housing organizations such as the Rental Housing Resource Center in Milwaukee.
The concept of being safe has many aspects. While safety is in part a physical reality, it’s largely a state of mind. Whether you feel safe can change in an instant, even if your physical reality is the same as it was a moment ago.
Safety depends upon the weather (as we have seen recently with the historic flooding), physical environment, neighbors, and the surrounding community. Choices, including who you invite into your home, influence your safety. While safe housing to me starts with a sound roof, stout walls and a dependable set of locks, a safe home means contentment, acceptance and family.
“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” – Maya Angelou. The Rental Property Association embraces partners in the community with shared goals in providing sustainable rental housing, and we invite further discussions about partnerships working toward those goals.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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