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 2021, 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. THESE SERVICES ARE AIMED AT HELPING PARTIES AVOID PREVENTABLE EVICTIONS. IN 2021, WE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH AREA STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH THE EVICTION PREVENTION COALITION AND IN SPRING 2021 OPENED THE PHYSICAL 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. IN AUGUST 2021, MILWAUKEE'S LOCAL INITIATIVES SUPPORT CORPORATION (LISC MILWAUKEE) AWARDED THE "NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL COLLABORATION AWARD" TO ALL OF THE RHRC CO-PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING US, AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL MILWAUKEE AWARDS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION (MANDI) AWARDS CEREMONY.ALSO, IN 2021, WE AND OTHER EVICTION-PREVENTION STAKEHOLDERS CONVENED 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. AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, MILWAUKEE COUNTY WAS ONE OF 12 JURISDICTIONS AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS (NCSC) TO IMPLEMENT AN EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM WITH THEIR SUPPORT, DUE TO THE STRENGTH OF THE COLLABORATION OF OUR EXISTING CO-PARTNER AGENCIES.LIKE THE 2020 DEMAND FOR PRE-FILING AND POST-FILING MEDIATION, 2021 REQUESTS REPRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR AT 45% OVER 2020. CONVERSELY, THE DEMAND FOR FORECLOSURE MEDIATION AGAIN DROPPED PROPORTIONATELY TO THE DROP IN FORECLOSURE FILINGS DUE TO THE STATE AND FEDERAL MORATORIA AND CFPB GUIDANCE, DESPITE THE SLIGHT UPTICK IN FILINGS AND MEDIATION REQUESTS TOWARDS THE END OF 2021, LEVELS ARE NOT QUITE BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS. WE ANTICIPATE THOSE FIGURES WILL INCREASE IN 2022 AND 2023.