| About Us |
 St. Michael's Parish, 24th and Cherry ACTS Housing's mission is to promote affordable homeownership that fosters a low-income family's ability to be self-empowered, thereby reducing community blight, neighborhood deterioration, and poverty. The strategy of ACTS is to generate homeownership opportunities for inner-city residents within a targeted neighborhood so that an entire community can be transformed and sustained.
Since the official recession began in late 2008, ACTS has returned over 300 foreclosed homes to responsible occupancy.
NeighborhoodsCentral Neighborhood (I-94 West to North Ave. and 12th St. to Sherman Blvd.)
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In 1992, St. Michael’s church started a pilot housing program to encourage families to purchase homes around the church. At that time, several older church members wished to sell their homes. In late 1995, three Milwaukee Central City churches -- St. Rose (33rd and Michigan), St. Michael (24th and Cherry), and St. Francis of Assisi (4th and Brown) formally incorporated ACTS as the non-profit vehicle through which they would collaborate to promote economic self-sufficiency of church members and neighborhood residents. ACTS employs an African-American Homeownership Coordinator, an Asian licensed real estate broker, and a Caucasian Rehab Manager who target this area. North Side Neighborhood (North Ave. to Capitol and Holton St. to 20th St.) The north side membership formed in January of 2000. The north side churches originally consisted of All Saints (4060 N. 26th), Blessed Trinity (4717 N. 38th), and the Dominican Center (2470 W. Locust St.). The Dominican Center now operates its own program while continuing to collaborate with ACTS. In the spring of 2005, St. Martin de Porres (128 W. Burleigh St.) and St. James in Brookfield began to collaborate with the north side membership. ACTS employs an African-American licensed real estate saleswoman who targets this area. South Side Neighborhood (Oklahoma to I94 West and I-94 South to 35th St.) The south side membership formed in the September of 2000. The south side churches consist of Ascension Lutheran Church (1236 S. Layton Blvd.), Faith Lutheran (1000 S. Layton Blvd.), St. Rafael the Archangel (2059 S. 33rd), and Prince of Peace/Principe de Paz (1138 S. 25 Street). ACTS CDC employs a Latina licensed real estate saleswoman who targets this area. Other Neighborhoods (Inside City of Milwaukee, Outside South, Central, & North Areas) ACTS has no participating churches outside of our targeted areas. However, families who purchased early in the central neighborhood were rewarded by increasing values, and many have used this equity to purchase homes outside our target areas, particularly in the northwest neighborhoods. While we do promote the assets of our target areas, highlighting the new investment there, the proximity to downtown, the affordability of the housing stock, and the potential for real increases in equity, we do not steer our clients exclusively toward opportunities inside our neighborhoods. Clients are free to choose which homes they wish to see.
HistoryACTS was born as the neighborhood around St. Michael's Church wasravaged by disinvestment in housing. This activity generated manyvacant homes that were deemed useless by the City and the privatemarket. Through a unique partnership with the City of Milwaukee, ACTS introduced local residents in the neighborhood to these vacant homes,showed them how to buy and rehab them,convinced local banks that they would be excellent customers for their best mortgage programs, and then stepped back and witnessed the rebirth of a neighborhood. Where no private market existed, ACTS was able to create a viable realestate market that is now self-sustaining. The norm in this communityhas become homeownership ACTS has traditionally worked with low-income families andindividuals who were denied access to the home ownership market forvarious reasons. Our staffworks with families and individuals who have made mistakes and poordecisions concerning their personal finances. Each Specialist istrained as a credit counselor in order to assist clients with theirefforts to become qualified for bank purchase loans. Staff assistseach participant with a credit repair road map that leads to solidcredit and the ability to acquire bank mortgage financing. Our work has affected over 5,000 individuals, many of them children, byproviding opportunities to learn responsibility, pride, andself-confidence. Studies have found that children living in owneroccupied homes perform better in school. Neighborhoods where familiesare homeowners form more stable communities.
SupportersOur sincere thanks to the following organizations and donors who have supported the ACTS Housing Program:
Since 1992, ACTS has assisted over 1,500 households with a home purchase and over 600 with home improvement projects. During this time, over $100 million was invested in purchases and $5 million in rehab work. |
Our sincere thanks to the following organizations and donors who have supported ACTS:
