Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council

What Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council does

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) is a private non-profit organization founded in 1977 that operates a full-service fair housing program across Wisconsin. The organization runs four core program modules: an Enforcement Program (complaint intake, counseling, and investigations); an Outreach and Education Program (training and presentations); a Fair Lending Program (predatory lending investigations and foreclosure prevention); and an Inclusive Communities Program (technical assistance on inclusionary housing and pro-integrative housing research). It serves Wisconsin residents across multiple counties including Milwaukee, Washington, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Dane, Outagamie, Brown, Winnebago, and Calumet, with a statewide toll-free complaint line. Specialized offerings include the Opportunity MKE housing mobility program for Housing Choice Voucher holders (supported by a five-year Milwaukee County grant), the Fair Housing Hunt mobile app for iOS and Android, the Opportunity MKE Mapping Tool (an interactive web mapping tool identifying opportunity areas), free fair housing trainings funded by CDBG, the Community Response Network coalition supporting hate-incident victims, and the ISTEP national training project supported by consecutive HUD grants.

MMFHC's underlying technology stack consists of a Wix-hosted public website (fairhousingwisconsin.com), a free mobile application for iOS and Android developed by Byte Studios (package com.bytestudios.housinghunt) that enables users to record rental housing search details and access fair housing rights information without storing user-identifiable data, and an interactive web-based mapping application built on the Shiny (R) framework (hosted at brhp.shinyapps.io) that identifies opportunity areas, school districts, and nearby amenities for housing mobility decision support. Case management and data tracking systems support the enforcement program. No APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML components are publicly documented.

The business model is grant and donation funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams include multi-year competitive government grants (consecutive HUD grants supporting ISTEP since 2012, a five-year Milwaukee County grant supporting Opportunity MKE), individual and organizational donations via the website, a membership program with individual and organizational tiers, and workplace giving contributions through Community Shares of Wisconsin (a fundraising coalition). Most public-facing services (complaint intake, counseling, trainings, educational materials) are provided free of charge, with free trainings supported by local Community Development Block Grant funds. No subscription or pricing tiers are publicly disclosed. The organization operates a Milwaukee headquarters plus two wholly-owned satellite offices (Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison and Fair Housing Center of Northeast Wisconsin).

Name

Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council

Legal name

Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council

Website

https://fairhousingwisconsin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Private non-profit founded in 1977 that operates a full-service fair housing program across Wisconsin, providing complaint intake, enforcement investigations, fair lending monitoring, housing mobility services, trainings, and national testing support through grants, donations, and membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and foundation grants: Multi-year competitive grants from federal agencies including HUD (consecutive grants for ISTEP program since 2012) and a five-year grant from Milwaukee County supporting Opportunity MKE housing mobility program.
2. Individual and organizational donations: Donations from individuals and supporters via the website's "Donate today!" page to support housing justice work throughout Wisconsin.
3. Membership fees: Membership program offering options for both individuals and organizations to participate in supporting fair housing.
4. Workplace giving campaigns: Member agency of Community Shares of Wisconsin, a fundraising coalition; supporters of fair housing in Dane County may contribute through Community Shares of Wisconsin workplace giving campaigns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

MMFHC operates a full-service fair housing program that provides complaint intake and investigation of housing discrimination, counseling on legal remedies, fair lending investigations, outreach and education, fair housing trainings, and pro-integrative housing research. It runs the Opportunity MKE housing mobility initiative for Housing Choice Voucher holders, supported by the Fair Housing Hunt mobile app and the Opportunity MKE Mapping Tool, and delivers the national ISTEP training and technical assistance project for fair housing testing programs.

Product overview

MMFHC is a private non-profit organization operating a unified portfolio of fair housing service programs supported by a public-facing website, mobile app, and interactive mapping tool. The four core program modules are the Enforcement Program (complaint intake, counseling, and investigations), the Outreach and Education Program (training and presentations), the Fair Lending Program (predatory-lending investigations and foreclosure-prevention education), and the Inclusive Communities Program (technical assistance and pro-integrative housing research). Layered on top of the core programs are specialized offerings: Opportunity MKE, a housing mobility initiative for Housing Choice Voucher holders (paired with the Opportunity MKE Mapping Tool at brhp.shinyapps.io/Milwaukee-Search/); the Fair Housing Hunt mobile app for iOS and Android; free Fair Housing Trainings funded by CDBG; the multi-agency Community Response Network that supports victims of hate incidents; and the national ISTEP training and technical assistance project supported by HUD grants. Two satellite offices—the Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison (since 1998) and the Fair Housing Center of Northeast Wisconsin (since 2002)—extend program delivery beyond the Milwaukee headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fair Housing Hunt: Free mobile app for housing search and fair housing rights information, created by the Fair Housing Council for use throughout Wisconsin.
• Opportunity MKE

Products and services

• Enforcement Program Handles intake of fair housing complaints and counsels complainants on administrative or judicial remedies. Provides investigative services for persons alleging housing discrimination and conducts systemic investigations of institutional discrimination. Intended for Wisconsin residents who believe they have experienced illegal housing discrimination.
• Outreach and Education Program Delivers presentations to consumers, advocates and the general public; provides fair housing training for property owners and managers, real estate agents, and other housing-industry members; and supplies technical assistance and professional support to government agencies, civil rights organizations, social service agencies, and housing providers.
• Fair Lending Program Investigates allegations of predatory lending, mortgage rescue scams, and other fair lending violations; monitors financial institutions for fair lending practices and compliance with the federal Community Reinvestment Act; and provides technical assistance and education on fair lending and foreclosure prevention to lenders, policymakers, and the public.
• Inclusive Communities Program Provides technical assistance and professional support to community organizations, developers, and local policymakers on inclusionary housing policies and the promotion of racial and economic integration. Also assists consumers with access to pro-integrative housing choices and conducts research, analysis, and documentation of fair and affordable housing opportunities and impediments.
• Opportunity MKE Housing Mobility Program A housing mobility program that helps families with Milwaukee County Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) move into low-poverty, high-opportunity neighborhoods in the greater Milwaukee area. Provides pre-move coaching, housing search assistance, move-related financial assistance (security deposits), faster paperwork processing through the housing authority, and post-move support.
• Opportunity MKE Mapping Tool Interactive web mapping tool that shows a housing unit's location on a map, determines whether the unit is in an opportunity area, identifies school district(s), and locates nearby amenities such as grocery stores and daycare centers. Used by Opportunity MKE participants and other consumers searching for housing in opportunity areas.
• Fair Housing Hunt Mobile App Free mobile application for iOS and Android that allows users to record detailed information about home rentals during a housing search, compare different units based on cost, size, and location, and access fair housing rights information. Does not store user information; only tracks crashes and basic non-attributable usage.
• Fair Housing Trainings Free fair housing trainings supported by local Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, offered throughout Wisconsin to housing providers, service providers, advocates, and local residents. Seminars cover local, state and federal fair housing laws, advertising compliance, non-discriminatory negotiation, and reasonable accommodations/modifications for tenants with disabilities.
• Community Response Network Coalition formed by MMFHC and community partners that provides a rapid response strategy for hate-motivated incidents, connecting victims with legal assistance, civil rights complaint support, housing/emergency shelter, health care, mental health services, school systems support, police liaison assistance, and media support.
• Investigative Support for Testing and Enforcement Programs (ISTEP) National training and technical assistance project that provides intensive training and ongoing technical assistance to non-profit fair housing testing programs across the U.S., designed to improve the quality and consistency of testing investigations and enforcement actions.
• Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison (FHCGM) Satellite office serving Dane County, located at 1574 W. Broadway, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53713 (phone: 608-257-0853). Member agency of Community Shares of Wisconsin.
• Fair Housing Center of Northeast Wisconsin (FHCNW) Satellite office opened in 2002 in Appleton, serving Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties in northeast Wisconsin.

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Fair Housing Alliance: The national umbrella organization for the fair housing movement; sets policy, aggregates data, and provides training and technical assistance to member organizations including MMFHC. Comparable as the broader incumbent that convenes and supports the same kind of fair housing enforcement, training, and lending work MMFHC does locally.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity: Federal agency that funds fair housing enforcement initiatives (including MMFHC's ISTEP grants) and operates the Fair Housing Assistance Program. Comparable as the broadest incumbent funder and policy authority in the space MMFHC operates in.

Direct peers

• Open Communities: Regional fair housing organization serving the north and northwest Chicago suburbs with enforcement, education, lending and inclusive communities programming — virtually the same service portfolio as MMFHC. Directly comparable peer on scope, funding model, and target constituency.
• HOPE Fair Housing Center: Fair housing center serving the Chicago metro and northern Illinois with testing, enforcement, fair lending, and HUD grant-funded programs. Directly comparable non-profit fair housing peer with similar HUD-grant-funded operating model.
• Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana: Indiana-based fair housing organization providing complaint intake, testing, training, and fair lending programs funded largely by HUD and local government grants. Closely comparable in size, scope, and revenue mix to MMFHC.
• Fair Housing Justice Center: New York City-based fair housing nonprofit offering investigation, testing, enforcement, and education services. Comparable as a regional non-profit fair housing organization with similar HUD-grant-funded program portfolio.
• Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati: Midwest fair housing organization providing testing, enforcement, lending investigations, and education in the Greater Cincinnati area. Comparable in mission, funding sources, and program structure to MMFHC.
• South Suburban Housing Center: Chicago south suburban fair housing center delivering enforcement, training, lending, and inclusive communities services funded primarily through HUD grants. Directly comparable regional non-profit peer.
• Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center: New Orleans-based fair housing center providing HUD-funded enforcement, testing, fair lending, and education services. Directly comparable peer in size, geographic scope, and program mix.

Emerging players

• Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC): Washington, D.C. policy and research organization focused on civil rights, housing mobility, and structural racism remedies. Overlaps with MMFHC's Inclusive Communities Program and Opportunity MKE mobility work, but is more research/policy-oriented than direct enforcement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FairHousingCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/566219/admin/feed/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairhousingwisconsin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council