Watertown-based Bethesda Lutheran Communities is moving forward with plans to bring a new model of housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to Milwaukee’s near west side, the first of what could be several similar developments in the area.
More than 90% of the housing units are spoken for and more than 40 veterans have already moved in, but Thursday marked the official completion of what amounts to a renaissance on part of the Milwaukee Soldiers Home campus.
Six buildings have been preserved and rehabilitated. The complex s centerpiece, Old Main, is the original Soldiers Home that opened in 1867 and housed generations of vets before falling into disrepair and closing in 1989. The former Administration Building, just south of Old Main, as well as three duplexes and a single-family home on the grounds, also have been restored for veterans housing.
The six buildings will offer 101 supportive housing units for veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Facing the task of helping more than 70,000 students recover from the pandemic as state lawmakers are poised to hold education funding flat, Milwaukee School Board members are scheduled to vote Thursday on a tight annual budget and historic temporary infusion of federal stimulus dollars.
Amending the plans already put forward by administrators, board members have called for several new programs, including more trades courses and a major expansion to the district’s Black and Latino Male Achievement program to offer mentorship and other support for female and LGBTQIA+ students of color.
Students and community leaders have asked for some additional changes. At a rally Wednesday night, students with Leaders Igniting Transformation called for more mental health services and less spending on security. Though the district previously cut contracts with police, the district still employs 274 safety assistants.