Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) in partnership with the Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services and Harambee Ombudsman Project and YMCA CDC — Riverwest are working to improve housing in our area. Harambee Ombudsman Project and YMCA CDC — Riverwest, in cooperation with the City of Milwaukee, are happy to announce Milwaukee’s newest Targeted Investment Neighborhood (TIN). Named after both sponsoring groups, the Harambee-Riverwest TIN covers the area from Clarke Street to Meinecke Street and from First Street to Pierce Street. The TIN program is a neighborhood revitalization strategy in which the City of Milwaukee, working with neighborhood partners, focuses resources in a relatively small area in an effort to stabilize and increase owner-occupancy, strengthen property values, and improve the physical appearance of a neighborhood. A TIN is a multi-year commitment to the neighborhood. Typically, a TIN requires three years of intensive activity including enhanced property rehabilitation loans (for owner-occupants and for investor-owners); promotion of homeownership; blight removal; intensive code enforcement, and public improvements where appropriate. The Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) designates a pool of funds available for these activities, but there is also a concerted effort to maximize private investment and coordinate the City’s spending with other forms of public investment. Other City departments such as the Department of City Development, Department of Public Works, and the Milwaukee Police Department also work closely with DNS and the local resident groups to implement the revitalization plan. The ultimate objective is to produce a “convergence of activity” that positively affects market conditions and improves the quality of life in the neighborhood. A TIN is first and foremost a partnership between the City government and the neighborhood partners. Active and enthusiastic participation by local residents is essential to the success of a TIN. For more information, contact Vince Bushell at 263-1380 (YMCA CDC — Riverwest). For applications for home improvement programs, contact the Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) at 286-5618.
Public meetings will be held for those interested in learning more about the TIN. They will be held Wednesday March 20th at Harambee, 335 W. Wright St. at 6 P.M. and on Wednesday March 27th at YMCA CDC — Riverwest, 604 E. Center St. at 7 P.M. Riverwest Currents – Volume 1 – Issue 2 – March 2002