Strategic plan

Overview

In 1971, the Garden Homes Neighborhood Association, Inc. (GHNAI) was founded as a resident-led, volunteer nonprofit organization based in Milwaukee’s historic Garden Homes neighborhood—America’s first municipally sponsored cooperative housing development listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the Wisconsin Registry of Historic Places and as a Milwaukee Landmark district.

Mission and Vision

The goals of GHNAI are to support and uplift residents of Garden Homes Park and the surrounding neighborhood through grassroots organizing, mutual aid, and volunteer service; restore and preserve the historic character of the Garden Homes district while keeping housing affordable for current and future residents; and build a strong, connected, and safe community where neighbors know each other, use the park, and take collective responsibility for their shared environment.

Impacts

• Sustaining and promoting a nationally significant historic district through advocacy and partnerships.
• Contributing to renovation reinvestment, improving distressed properties, and expanding affordable housing.
• Strengthening neighborhood cohesion and reducing blight through recurring cleanup efforts.
• Positioning Garden Homes as a pilot area for integrating preservation, equity-focused housing policy, and community-driven planning.