Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods (RON) Coalition
Improving the quality of housing in Milwaukee through data-informed, resident-engaged strategies and actions
Improving Housing Quality
RON identifies housing conditions that threaten health and safety through parcel-by-parcel surveys, helping neighborhoods and city leaders target action where housing quality needs attention most.
Strengthening Neighborhoods
RON brings neighborhood organizations together to align data, resources, and partnerships—supporting stable homes and stronger communities across Milwaukee’s low- to moderate-income neighborhoods.
Centering Residents
RON centers resident experience by engaging homeowners and renters directly, connecting them to resources, and ensuring housing data reflects lived realities and neighborhood priorities.
WHY RON EXISTS
Milwaukee’s neighborhoods, particularly low-income Black and Brown communities, have been shaped by decades of redlining, urban renewal policies, predatory lending, and systemic disinvestment.
These forces have contributed to vacant properties, aging housing stock, and deferred maintenance that threaten residents’ health, safety, and long-term neighborhood stability.
RON was created to change that trajectory.
By documenting housing conditions at the parcel level and centering resident experiences, RON brings visibility, accountability, and resources to neighborhoods that have historically been overlooked.
How RON Works
RON partners conduct hands-on, parcel-by-parcel housing surveys, collecting real-time data on exterior housing conditions across participating neighborhoods.
This work is grounded in four key objectives:
Help low- to moderate-income homeowners access resources that support the safety and stability of their homes
Hold landlords accountable for the condition of their properties
Triage distressed properties that, if left unaddressed, would negatively impact surrounding homes and community quality of life
Provide comparable, on-the-ground data to advocate for effective city programs and housing investment
Survey efforts are paired with targeted follow-up, allowing neighborhood organizations to prioritize the most distressed properties, elevate unsafe conditions, and connect homeowners to available assistance.
Through this model, RON ensures that housing data leads to action that protects residents and strengthens neighborhoods.
Neighborhood-led, Citywide Impact
RON works exclusively within NSP/CDBG-qualified neighborhoods across the City of Milwaukee. Each participating neighborhood organization leads survey and resident engagement efforts within its own geography, ensuring the work is community-driven and locally informed.
In 2024, RON partners conducted 35,000 parcel surveys across 17 Milwaukee neighborhoods, nearly doubling parcel coverage compared to earlier years. RON continues to grow its reach each year.
Explore the interactive map to see where RON works and which organizations are leading efforts in each neighborhood
Turning Data Into Action
RON’s work transforms neighborhood-level data into direct action—helping stabilize homes, protect residents, and strengthen communities most impacted by historic disinvestment.
Survey findings are actively used by:
Neighborhood organizations guiding outreach and advocacy
Residents seeking housing resources and support
Policymakers and city leaders informing enforcement, investment, and housing policy
RON also publishes aggregated data and reports in partnership with Data You Can Use, making neighborhood housing insights publicly accessible.
Our Impact
RON’s impact includes:
Tens of thousands of parcel-level housing assessments
Actionable data used by neighborhoods and city leaders
Direct connections between residents and housing resources
Strong partnerships across public, nonprofit, academic, and philanthropic sectors
Together, these efforts help improve housing quality while supporting long-term neighborhood stability across Milwaukee.
Impact Stories
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“Being a member of the RON Coalition is extremely impactful for the Washington Park community. It has help to guide our housing work."
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“The surveys allowed us to increase and maximize our canvassing efforts, offer another element to engage and serve neighbors, observe and report on the actual conditions, and increase staff and volunteers’ housing knowledge, skills, and experience.”
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“One program that we are especially excited to use this data for is our Home Improvement Matching Grants Program. The information we have will now allow us to understand the most needed (external) repairs throughout our community and also allow for more targeted outreach.”
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“The coalition allows us to learn more about this aspect of the affordable housing crisis; expand our social justice/liberation and housing network, learning community, and impact; and lift up some of the heaviest hit near southside neighborhoods’ housing and other needs.”
Whether you are a resident, neighborhood organization, policymaker, funder, or researcher, RON offers multiple ways to engage with this work.
Explore participating neighborhoods and partner organizations
Access housing reports and neighborhood-level data
Learn about partnership and collaboration opportunities
Contact the coalition to connect residents to resources