Housing Resource Fair & Bloom & Groom

Thank you, neighbors, for attending our annual Housing Resource Fair & Bloom and Groom Plant Sale! We hope you enjoyed exploring housing resources and picking out beautiful plants for your home.

We are grateful to our community partners and sponsors for their dedication and support of our work—a special thank you to our gracious host and foundresses, the School Sisters of St. Francis.

Your participation and enthusiasm made this event a great success. We look forward to seeing you at our future events!

Housing Resource Fair Sponsors:

Presenting:

Tri City National Bank

Neighborhood Champion:

Johnson Financial Group

Connector: 

The Equitable Bank

Bloom & Groom Sponsors: 

City of Milwaukee & NIDC

2024 Neighborhood Meetings

Thank you for joining us at our May Neighborhood Meeting. We were pleased to welcome representatives from the Mayor’s Office and the Office of Community Wellness and Safety this month. It was a valuable opportunity for neighbors to engage with the topics of Community Wellness and the Adopt a Neighborhood Initiative.

Join us on June 12th for our next neighborhood meeting focused on Finance. For more information and to RSVP, please visit viacdc.org.

Brew City Match

Since January, VIA has awarded over $200,000 to local businesses through the Brew City Match program! Grants support business and property owners in strengthening their brand through marketing support, purchasing new equipment, expanding their square footage through hard construction reimbursements, paying rent, and more!



We continue to accept applications and encourage both existing brick and mortars and those seeking to move into a storefront in the Silver City, Burnham Park, Layton Park, or Clarke Square neighborhoods to apply. For questions about the program, please get in touch with Brisa Van Galen, Economic Development Director, at brisa@viacdc.org or by phone/text at 414-409-8832.

Shea Park

We are thrilled to share the exciting progress at Shea Park! Since last fall, Escuela Verde students have been dedicated to revitalizing this space, creating a plan to transform it into a vibrant spot for neighbors to enjoy. This past month, we hosted a clean-up at Shea Park with Escuela Verde and Silver City neighbors, marking a significant step in our collaborative effort to enhance Milwaukee's smaller green spaces. We are eager to see what the future holds for Shea Park and look forward to seeing how the community will use and enjoy this park.

Active Streets

on May 9th, we kicked off the Active Street on Pierce for the second year! Sponsored by the City of Milwaukee, the event featured a guided bike ride with Bike Fed and Oak Leaf Familia, with bike rentals from the Urban Ecology Center. Artists Working in Education (AWE) led street art-making, and participants brainstormed the next set of words to add to the temporary art installation along Pierce Street.



Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the kick-off a great success! For more information and upcoming Active Street dates visit our website.

Improving Safety in Burnham Park

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is focused on improving the safety of our streets for people walking, wheeling, biking, taking public transit, and driving across the city, including Burnham Park. There are significant safety concerns on the streets throughout Burnham Park, including reckless driving, speeding, dangerous crossings, and crashes resulting in injury and death. Most concerning is the number of crashes concentrated around schools, churches, and parks.

DPW is implementing a project in Burnham Park to make streets safer. This project includes public involvement, with ongoing conversations with the community to understand people's safety concerns, explore solutions, and advance an exciting vision for sustainable, vibrant, equitable, and connected streets and public spaces that provide choice, safety, comfort, and access for everyone in Milwaukee.

Learn more and get involved by submitting your feedback.

Silver City Fest

Mark your calendars for Silver City Fest on Saturday, September 7th, from noon to 5:00 PM. Be part of VIA’s 13th annual Silver City Fest presented by Ethnic and Diverse Business Coalition (EDBC) on National Avenue between 32nd & 35th St. The Silver City Fest is a vibrant and lively event that celebrates the diversity and culture of our communities. Enjoy and experience Milwaukee’s local businesses, music, dance, food and art scene at this annual event.

Get involved:

• Participate as a vendor or performer
• Become an event sponsor
• Volunteer your time with us

For more information about the event please contact Brisa E. Van Galen at brisa@viacdc.org or call (414)-409-8832.

Home Improvement Matching Grant

VIA CDC’s Home Improvement Matching Grant (HIMG) is designed to support homeowners living in the Silver City, Burnham Park, and Layton Park neighborhoods with critical home repair projects to improve their quality of life. The HIMG is reimbursable—meaning you must first complete an approved project to receive a reimbursement.



If you have questions or need assistance with this application, please contact Luis Reynoso, Real Estate Outreach & Planning Coordinator, at 414-208-4425 or luis@viacdc.org.

Adopt a Neighborhood

Thank you to Mayor Johnson for selecting the Silver City Neighborhood for his new Adopt-A-Neighborhood Initiative. The 12-week pilot program aims to beautify, engage communities, and improve public safety. VIA looks forward to its success and continued collaboration with the city of Milwaukee.

• A guide to Milwaukee's Silver City neighborhood

• 45 Sites Selected for Affordable Homes for Early Childhood Educators

• Adopt-A-Neighborhood Initiative Aims to Uplift Silver City

• Mayor Johnson announces launch of 12-week Adopt-A-Neighborhood Initiative

• Mayor Johnson launches Adopt-A-Neighborhood initiative in Milwaukee

• Feria de recursos de vivienda y venta de plantas este sábado de VIA CDC