On June 21, 2006, IFF approved its first Wisconsin loan to Seeds of Health. Ten years later, on that exact day, customers and community members alike gathered in Milwaukee at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care’s Bucyrus Campus to celebrate a major IFF milestone.
IFF has supported nonprofits and affordable housing developers across the state through over $100 million in loans and new markets tax credits. In fact, St. Ann’s second facility, on the city’s west side, was made possible through $10 million in NMTCs and a $1.5 million loan from IFF.
“We’ve been part of many big Milwaukee projects for schools, health clinics, child care centers, and more, including St. Ann, whose beautiful building we’re in right now,” IFF Chief Operating Officer Matt Roth told the crowd. “Right behind St. Ann’s here is a former Lena’s grocery store that will reopen as a Save-A-Lot with a loan from us, giving this area a much-needed fresh food option once again. With help from great partners like you, we remain committed to making a difference in our communities for the next decade and beyond.”
IFF has made nearly 130 loans to a variety of organizations and projects, including Next Door, Sojourner Family Peace Center, and Guest House of Milwaukee. In the Historic Mitchell Street district, IFF financed the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center and is closing on a loan to the Mitchell Street Apartments, a mix of housing and a new Milwaukee Public Library branch.
“Through consistent leadership, IFF has developed a solid track record of providing opportunities that help neighborhoods flourish and grow,” said Wyman Winston, executive director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. “I congratulate IFF, a valued WHEDA partner, for its incredible achievements and quality work in the state of Wisconsin.”
Last month, IFF and WHEDA formed a partnership to co-lend on affordable housing projects across the state. Using findings from a recent human services needs assessment in Milwaukee’s Central City neighborhood, IFF also is helping community leaders to focus local resources where they are needed most.