Metro Milwaukee Mediation Services Inc

TO EMPLOY MEDIATION AS AN EFFICIENT, NEUTRAL, VOLUNTARY, AND CONFIDENTIAL VEHICLE TO BRING ABOUT MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY RESULTS TO PARTIES IN A RESIDENTIAL FORECLOSURE, OR OTHER LITIGATED CASE AND TO MAINTAIN A SHARED NETWORK CONNECTING ALL OF THE WISCONSIN FORECLOSURE MEDIATION PROGRAMS THROUGH A SINGLE WEBSITE, HOTLINE, AND REGULAR CONFERENCES TO FACILITATE THE EXCHANGE OF BEST PROCESSES, PRACTICES, KNOWLEDGE, TECHNOLOGY, AND RESOURCES.

IN 2022, METRO MILWAUKEE MEDIATION SERVICES, INC. (MMMS) CONTINUED TO ADMINISTER THE METRO MILWAUKEE FORECLOSURE MEDIATION PROGRAM (MMFMP) AND THE WISCONSIN FORECLOSURE MEDIATION NETWORK (WFMN). THROUGH THE MMFMP, MMMS SERVES MILWAUKEE, WAUKESHA, JEFFERSON, WASHINGTON, AND OZAUKEE COUNTIES. THROUGH THE WFMN, MMMS SERVES BROWN, CLARK, DANE, DODGE, DOOR, FLORENCE, KEWAUNEE, LANGLADE, LINCOLN, MARATHON, MARINETTE, OCONTO, PORTAGE, SAUK, TAYLOR AND WOOD COUNTIES. MMMS ALSO CONTINUED OFFERING PRE-EVICTION FILING AND POST-EVICTION FILING MEDIATION BETWEEN LANDLORDS AND TENANTS IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY, AND ADDED OZAUKEE, WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES. THESE SERVICES ARE AIMED AT HELPING PARTIES AVOID PREVENTABLE EVICTIONS. IN 2022, WE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH AREA STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH THE EVICTION PREVENTION COALITION AND SUPPORTED THE WORK OF THE MILWAUKEE RENTAL HOUSING RESOURCE CENTER (RHRC) TO HELP ADDRESS THE ONGOING CRITICAL NEEDS OF MILWAUKEE AREA RENTERS AND LANDLORDS WITH THE GOAL OF IMPROVING COMMUNICATION AND CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS WITH FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL SERVICE RESOURCES TO HELP MINIMIZE THE HARMFUL IMPACT OF EVICTIONS ON THE COMMUNITY. ALSO, IN 2022, WE AND OTHER EVICTION-PREVENTION STAKEHOLDERS CONTINUED TO CONVENE MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY COURTHOUSE TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS FOR EVICTION COURT, WITH A FOCUS ON EVICTION DIVERSION. WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS (NCSC) GRANT AWARDED TO MILWAUKEE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT THEY HIRED AN EVICTION DIVERSION COURT NAVIGATOR TO IMPLEMENT AN EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM WHO HELPS DIVERT POTENTIAL LITIGANTS WITH REFERRALS TO RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF COURT INCLUDING OUR MEDIATION PROGRAM.DEMAND FOR LANDLORD-TENANT MEDIATION IN 2022 RETURNED TO LEVELS COMPARABLE TO 2020 AFTER EXPERIENCING A 45% INCREASE IN VOLUME IN 2021. THERE ARE NUMEROUS FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASE IN 2021 AND THE RETURN TO WHAT WE VIEW AS NORMAL VOLUME IN 2022. ONE FACTOR IS THE ONGOING AVAILABILITY OF EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE (ERA) FUNDS FOR LANDLORDS AND TENANTS, AND THE AVAILABILITY OF FREE LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN COURT. HOWEVER, WE ANTICIPATE AS ERA FUNDS ARE EXHAUSTED WE COULD SEE A SURGE IN CASE VOLUME IN 2023, MUCH LIKE WE SAW IN 2021. LIKEWISE, WE COULD SEE AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE WITH REFERRALS FROM THE COURT'S EVICTION DIVERSION INITIATIVE.IN 2022 WE SAW FORECLOSURE MEDIATION REQUEST VOLUME RETURN TO NEARLY THE SAME RATE AS PRE-PANDEMIC VOLUME SINCE ALL FORECLOSURE-RELATED MORATORIA HAD ENDED. WE ANTICIPATE VOLUME MAY INCREASE IN 2023 AND BEYOND AS COVID-ERA FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMEOWNERS IS EXHAUSTED.