Office of African American Affairs
Affordable land and leasing costs, abundant fresh water, an educated workforce, low business costs and easy access to financing, technical assistance and efficient transportation have helped local businesses succeed and grow.
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Department of Administration
The City of Milwaukee, in partnership with Riverworks Development Corporation, has created the Financial Navigator program. Through this free service, Milwaukee residents can connect remotely with a trained Financial Navigator to receive one-on-one guidance on managing their financial issues. Trained Financial Navigators employed by the Riverworks Financial Clinic will work with residents over the phone to provide information and resources. Residents can call to receive help on a variety of financial topics including budgeting, mortgage assistance, and credit scores.
The Financial Navigators program is designed to help residents deal with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and is a critical part of the City of Milwaukee’s response efforts.
The City of Milwaukee offers these Financial Navigator services in partnership with Riverworks Development Corporation, a local nonprofit with a strong history of offering Milwaukee residents financial coaching to help them reach their full financial potential. Milwaukee was selected to receive a grant and technical assistance to implement this program through the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.
Access financial services by requesting a session below or call (414) 882-7440.
Services are available in Spanish.
Request a Session
After requesting a session you can expect to recieve a call from a Financial Navigator within 48 hours.
Financial Navigation serviced will be delivered over the phone by employees of Riverworks Development Corporatio. Session length will generally last no more than 30 minutes. During the session, navigators will work work with clients to identify services to help address their financial concerns.
Topic areas clients commonly seek assistance with include accessing help affording rent payments and preventing eviction/foreclosure, managing credit card debt, and guidance on enrolling to receive various types of benefits.
Navigators do not have ongoing relationships with clients or help them work through long-term action plans. Navigators also will not provide direct cash assistance to residents. They will help residents address financial issues, identify immediate action steps, and make referrals to other services, some of which may be able to offer financial assistance. They can also make referrals for in-depth financial counseling if needed.
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Riverworks’ mission is to drive social and economic development by aligning residents and businesses with specialized resources that strengthen Harambee, Riverwest and the surrounding communities. Since 1992, Riverworks has spearheaded the revival of Harambee and Riverwest, attracting millions of dollars of local and national corporate and philanthropic investment, and some of the top technical expertise in the country.
Key mission priorities include: commercial and residential development, financial coaching and wealth-building, workforce development, housing stabilization, creative place-making, and community engagement. Riverworks Financial Clinic helps families realize their full financial potential through credit building, debt reduction, and planning for life goals.
The CFE Fund supports municipal efforts to improve the financial stability of households by leveraging opportunities unique to local government. By translating cutting edge experience with large scale programs, research, and policy in cities of all sizes, the CFE Fund assists mayors and other local leaders to identify, develop, fund, implement, and research pilots and programs that help families build assets and make the most of their financial resources. The CFE Fund is currently working in over 100 cities, and has disbursed over $42 million to city governments and their partners to support these efforts.
If you have questions regarding the Milwaukee’s Financial Navigator program contact: Travis Spell, Business Development Manager 414-882-7432 [email protected].