Tracking Milwaukee Evictions

Raphael Ramos

Legal Action of Wisconsin

Branden DuPont

Medical College of Wisconsin

Legal Action of Wisconsin’s
Eviction Defense Project

• Legal Action is the largest non-profit civil legal aid provider in the state
• The EDP provides free, volunteer based, representation to tenants facing eviction
• This representation goes beyond the brief advice that characterizes most limited scope representation clinics.  Volunteers are able to advocate for their clients in court.

Eviction Database Background

• Eviction database developed as a joint partnership
• Common Council and City, Alderman Kovac in particular for sponsoring the development of this work
• Stemmed from the need to identify basic eviction data
• Created to inform the public and to identify trends and patterns to aid in resolution of systemic issues

Eviction as a Social Determinant of Health

• Displacement
• Children

  • Education – Increased absences due to instability or school changes due to relocation

  • Direct correlation between ER visits for children and housing instability

• Adults

  • Education

  • Employment

    • Difficulty getting new job without permanent address

    • Risk of losing current job due to housing instability, relocation, transportation, etc.

• Health

  • Housing conditions (worsened by cycle of eviction) like lack of heat, mold, infestations, etc. lead to health issues

  • Mental Health (perceptions of procedural fairness)

• Family

  • Families can be separated or forced into unsafe housing conditions due to housing instability

  • Neighborhoods see increased crime in areas with high turnover and lack of community

The Mark of Eviction

• The only eviction record that was previously available that mattered to landlords and tenants: CCAP
• CCAP is publicly accessible (LLs use it to review)
• Eviction is the modern day scarlet letter and negatively impacts long-term housing options
• From actual landlord application site: “No Prior Evictions, No Exceptions”

The Justice Gap

• How many evictions in Milwaukee County per year?
  • 13,985 in 2018 | 14,077 in 2017 | 13,457 in 2016
• Approximately 34,000 people impacted by eviction in 2018
• How often are landlords represented by counsel?
  • In 2016, slightly more than 50% of landlords were represented by an attorney
• How many tenants had representation in 2016?
  • Less than 1% of tenants in eviction filings, 112 out of 13,457, were represented by counsel in 2016
• This data has, historically, been unavailable to the general public

 Datashare @ MCW IHE = Local IDS

What Was Built

• Automated database that maintains Milwaukee eviction records
• Pipeline that assigns evictions to an address and taxkey
• Series of visualizations on aggregate eviction metrics
• Parcel level map of eviction filings
• Eviction records with building code violations issued within 90 days as well as open at the time of filing

Reception

• Featured in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Next City, & The Sunlight Foundation
• Viz Interactions > 60,000
• Article Shared publicly > 650

Outcomes & Policy Changes

• Provide stakeholders with a key source of data to inform housing policy and understand drivers of eviction
  • DCD, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Eviction Prevention Coalition,
• Understand relationship between habitability of rental housing and evictions

Where Can I Find These Resources?

• Eviction Defense Project

  • Milwaukee County Courthouse (Room 411) 12:00pm Mondays, Thursdays, and certain Wednesdays and Fridays

    Call 414.278.7722 to check availability. First come, first served.  Tenants should come at 12:00pm.

• Track Milwaukee Evictions:
  • mke-evict.com