Brostoff backs tiny house initiative in Milwaukee

Wisconsin state Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, D-Milwaukee, is backing a tiny house initiative being run through a partnership between Milwaukee and Pathfinders, a youth homeless shelter.

The campaign would help young adults transition out of foster care and into independent housing.

“It is important to address the issue of homelessness in Milwaukee and create sustainable solutions to help our neighbors in any way we can,” Brostoff said in a statement. “Right now, almost 500 of our community’s youth deal with not having a place to sleep every night. This is unacceptable.”

People unable to secure housing have a harder time finding and keeping employment.

Housing first initiatives, such as the one involving Milwaukee and Pathfinders, help those aging out of foster care, lighten the burden on local government and nonprofits, and help our community as a whole, Brostoff said.

“Providing these young people help early on using the housing first philosophy will allow our community to proactively address the issue of homelessness,” the legislator said. “The tiny homes are already funded, and we have neighbors in need of affordable housing. Let’s get this done before it’s too cold out.”

Zoning approval is the final challenge Pathfinders and Milwaukee must navigate before it can complete the tiny homes initiative.