Milwaukee evictions surged after state, federal bans lapsed

By MARY HENNIGAN and ABIGAIL ZIMMARDI / The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (AP) — Evictions are big business in Milwaukee.

They surged after the state and federal eviction bans expired this summer, driven by job losses caused by the pandemic, long-standing racial inequality and growing income disparity.

Requests for help from legal aid lawyers have more than doubled since last year. But the lawyers can only serve about 5% of renters trying to stay in their homes, a new report from the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism found.