Board backs Citywise partnership to create countywide rental marketplace; amendment adds bias safeguards and reporting

The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors on May 22 adopted a resolution supporting a partnership with Citywise to create a countywide rental-housing marketplace that will list subsidized and affordable rentals and provide resources for households in housing crisis.

Supervisor Mark Ekblad, the item’s author, told the board the work was carried out by Housing Division staff, the Office of Corporation Counsel and the county executive’s office and that the marketplace will give residents “easy access to affordable and subsidized housing” via smartphone or public library. Ekblad said the county will be the first in the state to launch a marketplace at county scale and emphasized that the partnership “comes at no cost to the county,” because the marketplace’s operational fees will be borne by landlords with large portfolios.

Nut graf: The board adopted an amendment from Supervisor Stephanie O'Connor that asks county staff and Citywise to monitor for possible amplification of bias in software-driven platforms, to share quarterly implementation reports, and to commit to certain listing rules (for example excluding landlords who do not accept housing vouchers or who are in litigation with municipalities).

Key details: County staff and Citywise plan to include tools such as eligibility calculators and maps of emergency resources; landlords who accept vouchers and meet listing standards may list for free. The fiscal note presented to the board indicated no direct county cost; Citywise will charge market-rate landlords (those with 20+ units).

Ending: The resolution passed unanimously (17–0) after the amendment, and county staff agreed to provide regular reports to the board on implementation and to allow continued stakeholder feedback as the marketplace rolls out during peak rental season.