After more than 20 years working in child care, Shartoya Jones has achieved her lifelong dream of being a homeowner.
Though homeownership was always a goal, Jones said it was out of reach until groups like the Community Development Alliance, Acts Housing and Habitat for Humanity partnered to create homes for early childhood educators.
“I am just grateful that this program was able to make it affordable for me,” said Jones, as she stood in front of her new home that will double as a birthday gift for her daughter.
Several new homeowners spoke during the Community Development Alliance’s annual bus tour on April 24. The tour offered residents, stakeholders and Milwaukee leaders a firsthand look at local housing efforts that are strengthening connections across neighborhoods.
“People hear about what’s happening,” said Frank Martinez, deputy director of the Community Development Alliance. “This tour allows people to see what’s happening and see what’s possible.”
Annual tour
The tour, a yearly tradition for the Community Development Alliance, took stakeholders on a daylong journey through several Milwaukee neighborhoods including Amani, Harambee and Metcalfe Park, where housing projects are actively reshaping the landscape.
Participants boarded the bus early that morning with a clear goal: to see progress up close and deepen collaboration around equitable development.
Throughout the day, the bus made stops at a mix of newly completed developments, projects under construction and sites still in the planning phase. At each location organizers and project leaders shared insights into the challenges and successes of expanding affordable housing, preserving existing homes and ensuring long-term neighborhoods.
As Oby Nwabuzor, founder and principal of Envision Growth, stood on the porch of a home she developed in Amani, she recalled playing basketball in the neighborhood as a child.
“I am proud to be doing this in an area that could use more intentional development,” she said.
Envision Growth is a public health-driven real estate firm in Milwaukee.
Attendees heard directly from first-time homeowners and families moving into newly renovated units. They shared stories of how having a home is changing their lives.
The tour also highlighted the collaborative nature of Milwaukee’s housing ecosystem. Representatives from financial institutions, local governments and grassroots organizations exchanged ideas and discussed ways to align resources more effectively.
Conversations continued between stops, turning the bus itself into a moving forum for problem solving and relationship building.
Community building
A recurring theme throughout the tour was the importance of community-driven development.
The Community Development Alliance created an affordable housing plan that has since been adopted by the city, county and philanthropic communities. Additionally, the organization conducts research, engages with stakeholders, secures funding for affordable housing developments and advocates for affordable housing. Above all, it emphasizes building community.
Organizers said that successful housing initiatives depend on listening to residents, respecting neighborhood history and creating space that supports long-term growth without displacement.
Teig Whaley-Smith, chief alliance executive with Community Development Alliance, spoke about the displacement by abandonment that has happened in neighborhoods like Amani.
“We need to be able to complete development without displacement,” he said. “The good news is that we can do this and we know how to do this.”
While celebrating recent housing progress made possible through advocacy and collaboration, Ald. Sharlen Moore reminded attendees that much more needs to be done.
“You’ve heard this be declared the year of housing, but it’s also the year of the people,” Moore said.
For more information about the Community Development Alliance or to get involved, you can visit its website at https://www.housingplan.org.
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