Linda Beard in front of the home her mother Minnie acquired in 1994.

Minnie Beard receives the keys to her home from former
Mayor John Norquist and Alderman Don Richards.

Linda Beard didn't plan to live long-term in the home her mother, Minnie, bequeathed to her in 2009. Linda had spent the previous two years taking care of her mother, and after Minnie passed, Linda's inclination was to move with her daughter back to St. Paul, Minnesota, where Linda had previously worked for the city for nine years.

But the move didn't last long. The house, which Linda had locked up and left behind, seemed to call her back to Milwaukee.

It was the house she had moved to with her mom and brothers in the early 1980's, with the help of a voucher that paid a portion of the rent. Linda was a young girl and the home and new neighborhood provided a sense of safety and stability.

"Mom was so proud," said Linda. "She wanted to show us kids that we could accomplish goals and that we could have a better life."

Today, yet another 20 years later, that program, which is run by the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, has helped an additional 474 families move into their own homes.

the impact of the program on neighborhoods can be as dramatic as it is on the lives of young girls and their mothers. Homeowners have a vested interest in their homes and so they necessarily have a vested interest in their neighborhoods. They pay property taxes, which support the city around them. And when public housing residents give up their housing subsidy, they free it up for someone else in greater need.

The estimated property taxes paid on these homes is about six million dollars a year.

Today, Linda enjoys the home with her daughter, now 19, and her fiance Tim, who has a definite green thumb when it comes to landscaping.

"Neighbors stop by to look at the flowers, and sometime people will even pull over in their cars just to tell us how nice things look," said Linda.

They might also see the family's cat, EJ or AJ, depending on who you ask, who actively patrols the yard and makes it known he is in charge.

"This neighborhood has a lot of history for me," said Linda, who talks fondly of the neighbors she has known for decades, the other children who have grown to take over their parents' homes or the faces who are relatively new to the area.

"My mom was determined to leave me this home," said Linda, "and I understand it now. It's something shoe could pass on to me, and now I see that it's something I can pass on to my own daughter."

For more information on HACM's Homeownership Program, visit the Homeownership Page.

LEARN MORE: HACM Homeownership Program enhances neighborhoods one house at a time

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