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

 

 

 

 

"[C]onnecting regular public agency records, integrated data systems enable policymakers, practitioners, advocates and researchers to look across programs and add critical depth and details to complex social issues." - Annie E Casey Foundation

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.

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