Milwaukee Workforce Housing Summit

Release of New Employer-Assisted Housing Study by the Center for Housing Policy

May 22, 2008

The Milwaukee Workforce Housing Summit, an event hosted by Edward Zore, president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual, and chairman of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, was held to discuss the merits of employer-assisted housing (EAH) programs. The day's events included a keynote address by Mayor Kathy Taylor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the The Summit was sponsored by NHC and its research affiliate the Center for Housing Policy, Freddie Mac, Select Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, the City of Milwaukee and Johnson Bank.

In conjunction with the event, the Center for Housing Policy released a case study which detailed the return on investment of an Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH) program offered by Aurora Health Care, a long-standing EAH participant. EAH programs – which can include down payment assistance, and homebuyer education and counseling – help employees purchase homes closer to where they work in neighborhoods where they would normally be unable to afford a home. The report found EAH programs provide incentives for employees to stay with their employers, ultimately helping ensure a stable and experienced workforce.

For the full study, click here: "Quantifying the Value Proposition of Employer-Assisted Housing: A Case Study of Aurora Health Care" by Lynn Ross, AICP

Summit Materials:

Summit Agenda

Presentation by Lynn Ross, Director of State and Local Initiatives, Center for Housing Policy

Presentation by Dwain Midget, Assistant to the Mayor; Acting Director, Working in Tulsa Neighborhoods Department

Presentation by Joyce Smyth, Employer Assisted Homeowership Programs Manager, Select Milwaukee