GO, BUCKS.
>> THERE IS THIS, THOUGH.
U.S. CITIES LIKE MILWAUKEE SAW A
BOOST IN FUNDING FROM THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, A BILL
PASSED IN MARCH.
MILWAUKEE'S SLICE OF THE PIE
WILL BE ROUGHLY $4 MILLION OVER
THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
WILL KENNEALLY HAS DETAILS OF
HOW THAT MONEY IS EXPECTED TO BE
SPENT.
>> 2020 WAS A HARD YEAR BUT
MAYOR TOM BARRETT SEES A SILVER
LINING.
>> THIS IS A CHANCE TO ADDRESS
CHALLENGES THIS CITY FACES.
>> MILWAUKEE IS SET TO RECEIVE A
TOTAL OF NEARLY $400 MILLION
OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS AS PART
OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
BARRETT RELEASED HIS PLAN <!0>
MONTH FOR HOW TO SPEND THE
INITIAL $93 MILLION OF THAT
MONEY, TO GO TOWARDS HOUSING,
JOBS AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
FUNDING WOULD GO TO LOW-INCOME
HOUSING PROJECTS, RENTAL
ASSISTANCE AND A LOAN PROGRAM TO
HELP HOMEOWNERS MAKE REPAIRS.
THE MONEY WOULD ALSO GO TO HELP
FUND JOB TRAINING, WITH A
PRIORITY ON GETTING PEOPLE TO
WORK, CLEANING UP THE CITY'S
LEAD PROBLEM.
>> THIS WILL INCLUDE
HIGH-QUALITY WORK EXPERIENCES
WITH CONNECTIONS TO EMPLOYERS IN
IN-DEMAND FIELDS.
LEAD ABATEMENT IS ONE OF THE
MAJOR ISSUES WE FACE AS A
COMMUNITY.
>> IT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE STREET
IMPROVEMENTS AND FUNDS TO HELP
THE MILWAUKEE POLICE CRACK DOWN
ON RECKLESS DRIVING.
>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN
INFUSION OF FUNDS EQUAL TO ABOUT
25% OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE
CITY.
NOW, THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE
EVERYTHING OVERNIGHT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO SOLVE ALL THE
PROBLEMS IN THE CITY.
BUT THAT'S A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL
AMOUNT OF MONEY.
>> UW-MILWAUKEE ECONOMIST MARK
LEVINE SAYS IT'S TARGETED TO
HARD-HIT PARTS OF THE CITY.
>> CERTAINLY THE ECONOMIC
EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC WERE
MOST STRONGLY FELT IN THE
HOUSING AND THE EMPLOYMENT
AREAS.
YOU HAD TREMENDOUS -- WITH
BUSINESSES CLOSING, YOU HAD A
TREMENDOUS DECLINE IN
EMPLOYMENT.
>> HE SAYS MOST IMPORTANTLY IS
HOW THE FUNDS ARE SPENT.
>> EVERY PROGRAM FUNDED IN MY
PLAN HAS BEEN VIEWED FROM A
RACIAL EQUITY LENS.
>> THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT
ASPECT OF THIS AND THAT'S
PARTICULARLY SEEN IN THE AREA OF
HOME OWNERSHIP, RIGHT, WHERE
MILWAUKEE HAS THE SECOND LOWEST
RATE OF BLACK HOMEOWNERSHIP IN
THE COUNTRY.
ONLY 27% OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN
MILWAUKEE OWN THEIR OWN HOMES
COMPARED TO 70% OF WHITES.
>> LEVINE SAYS THIS RACIAL
DISPARITY WAS EXACERBATED DURING
THE PANDEMIC AND WAS ALSO SEEN
IN UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS.
CHYTANIA BROWN HEADS EMPLOY
MILWAUKEE.
>> THIS MUST HAVE A VISION THAT
ENSURES TRANSFORMATION, FOSTERS
COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION AND
PROVIDES INDIVIDUALS WITH CAREER
AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
WE SEE THIS AS AN HISTORIC
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IMPACTFUL
CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
>> MEMBERS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL
SAY THEY WILL TAKE THE TIME
BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER TO
STUDY THE MAYOR'S PLAN.