On Sept. 13, Downtown Milwaukee, BID #21 launched Key to Change, a new initiative to address chronic homelessness in the area. Seven coin parking meters have been retrofitted by Flux Design to resemble large keys and provide a donation option to those who use them. Donations will be used to further the mission of Milwaukee County Housing Division’s Housing First project, which recognizes housing as the first step toward stabilization. Off the Cuff spoke with Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 to learn more about Key to Change.
Please tell me more about Milwaukee County Housing Division’s Housing First project. Your press release states that, once permanent supportive housing is achieved, the program strives to provide wraparound services ranging from rehabilitation and counseling to job training and placement. Please describe what an individual experiences going through this program.
Once in the Housing Division’s program, individuals receive rental assistance and then are provided flexible and voluntary services. The goal is to offer an individual permanent housing as fast as possible, often to individuals right off the street. There are several measures in determining how successful individuals in the program are. The best measure we have is that the housing retention rate, once in the program, is 97%—an incredibly high number for individuals who often have not been successfully housed before and almost all participants voluntarily agree to mental health and/or AODA [alcohol and other drug abuse] treatment. The Housing First model has also led to a decrease in overall homelessness of 40% since its full implementation in September 2015.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Why does Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 believe it is important to address chronic homelessness in the city? How does this issue affect other aspects of our community, socially, economically, etc.?
Our Downtown stakeholders indicate time and time again that quality of life should be a top priority for all of Downtown’s residents and guests. Morally and socially, we can’t bury our heads in the sand. There are individuals in our community who need assistance, and the best way to help them is with long-term solutions. Even if you’re fiscally conservative, the data overwhelmingly demonstrates that the Housing First concept saves taxpayers by alleviating police calls, time at a mental health institute, emergency room admissions and court costs.
What was the BID’s role in developing and implementing the Key to Change program, and how will the BID’s involvement continue going forward?
While repurposing parking meters for a community-giving campaign is not a new concept, our organization developed the key-shaped concept, name and website, and funded design and fabrication of the meters. Moving forward, our Public Service Ambassadors will collect the coin donations at the seven meters and we will divert any online donations toward the identified long-term solutions.
Please tell me more about the success that community-giving programs through meter donations have had in other cities, such as Washington, D.C., Denver, Indianapolis and Detroit.
For many of our peer cities, the repurposed meters are more of an awareness campaign. Organizers in Detroit estimate between $1,500 and $7,000 is collected annually at the meters with the bulk of donations coming from corporate sponsorships and philanthropic contributions. We anticipate similar results in Milwaukee, which is why we’re thrilled to kick off our campaign with $16,000 from the private sector—$5,000 coming from Interstate Parking Company and Grand Avenue Redevelopment, $5,000 from Cardinal Capital, $5,000 from an anonymous donor, and $1,000 from Jan Wilberg.
Key to Change meters have been retrofitted by Flux Design, one of Milwaukee’s most respected industrial and creative design firms. Who are the Flux craftspeople and designers involved in this project and what signature mark(s) have they left on the design of the meters?
Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 worked with the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works, as well as Andrew Saint-Louis and Terry Boyle at Flux Design in the fabrication of the meters. They took our concept rendering designed by our agency, Ellingsen Brady Advertising, and translated it into something functional and attention grabbing.
In addition to making donations to the Key to Change meters, how else can our readers get involved in addressing chronic homelessness in Milwaukee?
The biggest impact would be to make a donation to the Housing First Endowment, administered by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. One hundred percent of the funds donated will go directly to services as a way to ensure that this program is sustainable in the future.
Key to Change parking meters are located at:
1612 W. Wisconsin Ave.
500 W. Wisconsin Ave.
380 W. Wisconsin Ave.
275 W. Wisconsin Ave.
112 W. Wisconsin Ave
411 E. Wisconsin Ave.
626 E Wisconsin Ave.
Donations can also be made on the Key to Change website, keytochangemke.com. Learn more about Housing First by visiting housingfirstmilwaukee.com.
