Maskani Place: Opening new doors to those in need

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Heartland Housing has announced the grand opening of Maskani Place, a 37-unit, $10 million housing community for Milwaukee families that were previously living in shelters, homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Maskani Place officially opened on Tuesday, May 27th.

The facility is located in Milwaukee's Harambee neighborhood.

Because all units within Maskani Place are subsidized, rent will be no more than 30% of a resident's income.

Maskani Place was developed to address the number of Milwaukee children living in poverty who are either homeless or at risk of being homeless.

In 2013, Milwaukee Public Schools served 3,556 homeless children, an increase of 5.4 percent from the previous school year. 

Of the country’s largest cities, Milwaukee has the fourth highest child poverty rate in the country, with 43 percent of children living below 100 percent of the federal poverty line. 

In addition to high-quality, safe, affordable housing, service partner Community Advocates will provide assistance with employment training and job searches, finding childcare, and developing financial literacy.

The building includes a computer lab, a multi-purpose community room, a wellness room, an outdoor play area and several raised garden beds.  

Mercia Harris-Williams and her two children have already moved in.

The family welcomes its new home after months of bouncing from one hotel to another.

"It feels amazing! It`s the best feeling because you don`t have to worry about if your sheets and towels are clean or if you`re bothering the staff too much -- whatever the case may be. You have a three-bedroom. They each have their own room, and you have a two-bathroom, and you have a washer and dryer. You don't come across something like this every day," Harris-Williams said.

Maskani Place was made possible by three years of planning and construction.

"It`s that moment where you`re walking a resident into their building, and in this case, families with children and they see the beautiful building they get to live in," Heartland Housing Executive Director Michael Goldberg said.

The project cost about $10 million -- and most of the funding comes from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority -- or WHEDA, which will provide about $9 million through tax credits over the course of 10 years.

"We`ve got 25 years of experience of developing these kinds of solutions and I think it resonated with the state," Goldberg said.

Maskani Place is Chicago-based Hartland Alliance's third project in Milwaukee. 11 units in the building are reserved for people earning less than 60 percent of the area median income. 26 units are reserved for people earning less than 50 percent of the area median income. All units have project-based vouchers and tenants will pay 30 percent of their income for rent.

In 2011, Heartland opened the 38-unit Capuchin Apartments on the city’s Park West neighborhood, in partnership with St. Ben’s Community Meal.

In 2009, Heartland opened the 24-unit Prairie Apartments in the King Park Neighborhood along with Guest House of Milwaukee.

Since its founding in 1988, Heartland Housing has developed nearly 1,850 units and manages nearly 850 affordable homes throughout the Midwest. 

Maskani Place was designed and constructed with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind.

All units have ENERGY STAR appliances; low VOC paints, adhesives and sealants; low-flow plumbing; and energy efficient lighting, ceiling fans and windows. In addition, heating, cooling and hot water systems are all energy-efficient.



Heartland Housing used an array of public and private financing including tax credits from Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), and support from the City of Milwaukee and the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM).

The City of Milwaukee provided the property for Maskani Place -- as well as about $200,000 from its Housing Trust Fund.

In addition to state and local funding, Maskani Place received generous support from US Bancorp Community Development Corporation, BMO Harris Bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, Forward Community Investments, and Enterprise Community Partners.

Heartland Housing is also currently working with the city of Madison on a similar development on that city’s east side.

“Maskani” is a Swahili word for “home.”

Maskani Place is located at 320 East Center Street in Milwaukee’s near north side. You can access more information about the facility online byCLICKING HERE.