Food insecurity peaked in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but declined with the help of financial support programs. Now that those programs are ending, service providers are seeing an increase in those in need in Milwaukee.
Author Archives: PrincessSafiya Byers / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers is a Report for America corps member working as a staff reporter at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service where she covers health, minority businesses, faith, jobs, housing and transportation. A proud Milwaukee native, Byers is a 2020 graduate of Marquette University. She has had internships with the Milwaukee Community Journal, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Byers has also co-produced a community podcast and written for community newsletters.
Posted inEducation
Milwaukee Public Schools administration is in turmoil: Here’s what you need to know
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction said it is withholding a $16.6 million payment to Milwaukee Public Schools. The news comes only days after MPS Superintendent Keith Posley resigned.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
After being ignored, Milwaukee’s public housing residents take a new approach to demanding housing authority action
Frustrated by unresolved complaints, Milwaukee public housing residents held a news conference in front of the home of the city housing authority chairwoman.
Posted inJustice & Safety
10 years after his death, Dontre Hamilton’s family seeks police reforms in Milwaukee
Nearly 10 years after her son, Dontre Hamilton, was shot and killed by a Milwaukee Police Department officer, Maria Hamilton is still fighting for change.
Posted inEconomy, Justice & Safety
FlexRide Milwaukee’s ridership is surging, but its future remains unclear
FlexRide Milwaukee, an on-demand service that provides affordable transportation to and from work for inner-city residents, celebrated its 50,000th ride in January.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
Renters concerned as Texas company buys up homes in Black-majority Milwaukee neighborhoods
As the Texas-based company VineBrook Homes Trust Inc. buys up homes on Milwaukee’s North Side, some residents and community advocates worry about the potential impact on the community.
Posted inEducation
Wisconsin set to offer free driver education to students in need
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is expected to roll out a free program that would provide driver’s education for high school students in need.
Posted inEconomy, Environment
How Jesús Salas documents the legacy of Wisconsin farmworkers – and his own
Jesús Salas’ story details how the work of the farmworkers movement created a lasting impact on the Latinx community in Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
Milwaukee leaders press for answers after three forced apartment evacuations
On Sept. 5 tenants at the SoHi Lofts in Milwaukee were evacuated after stairs collapsed –one of three forced evacuations of Milwaukee County apartment buildings this year.
Posted inJustice & Safety
Milwaukee native fights to restore housing protections for tenants with drug distribution records
Milwaukee native Yusuf Dahl is working to overturn the Thurmond Amendment, which creates a lifetime exemption from federal fair housing protections for individuals convicted of any drug distribution crime.
Posted inGovernment
Why Wisconsin renters feel powerless in landlord disputes
A range of factors stack the odds against tenants, including landlords in the Legislature who have weakened local regulations of rental properties.
Posted inHealth & Welfare
Man seeks stability after facing youth homelessness in Milwaukee
With help from the nonprofit Pathfinders, a 22-year-old tries to escape a cycle of homelessness that ensnares many who age out of the foster system.