Social Enterprise Winner
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity
3726 N. Booth St., Milwaukee
Milwaukee faces a lack of affordable housing, particularly in low-income areas. For some families, rent expenses account for 70 percent of monthly income.
Brian Sonderman, executive director of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, along with his staff and 2,500 volunteers, understand that increased homeownership helps build strong and safe neighborhoods. In more than 30 years, Milwaukee Habitat volunteers have repaired and built more than 1,000 homes for local families.
The organization’s three ReStores, retail stores selling secondhand furniture and household items, help increase sustainability in the Milwaukee area by recycling items that would otherwise be bound for landfills. Last year, ReStore sales exceeded $2.2 million. Habitat plans to open a fourth store by 2020.
“Together, we are combatting our city’s affordable housing crisis by dramatically increasing affordable homeownership opportunities and stabilizing neighborhoods,” said Hannah Harris, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity grant program manager.
“Combatting the city’s affordable housing crisis, where right now, 60 percent of Milwaukee renters are in unaffordable housing, can’t be done by just one single organization or individual. It does take a community of people who care about their neighbors.”
– Brian Sonderman, executive director, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity
