Milwaukee Housing Trends, 2018-2022

Author

John D. Johnson, Lubar Center, Marquette Law School

Published

August 1, 2023

Preface

This report continues the Lubar Center’s focus on the state of Milwaukee’s housing. Previous installments have documented the end of the residency requirement for city workers, the collapse in owner occupancy following the Great Recession, increased investment by out-of-state landlords, and high-frequency eviction by large corporate landlords.

Our latest study reveals something new. Since 2018, homeownership has begun rebounding across Milwaukee. No other four-year period since our data begins in 1990 has seen an increase in homeownership this large. At the same time, several private equity backed out-of-state investors have also rapidly expanded their holdings. They focus on lower-priced houses in specific neighborhoods, putting them in direct competition with the would-be home buyers already living there.

About this report

This digital report includes records through the end of 2023.