MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee made a big deposit at a local bank with the hopes of investing in the community in more ways than one.

Tuesday’s deposit comes seven months before the Republicans’ nominating convention comes to town and wasn’t just about putting money into an account. The purpose is to use those funds to help put people in homes thanks to one of the oldest African American-owned banks in the nation.

What You Need To Know

  • The MKE 2024 Host Committee made a $100,000 deposit at Columbia Savings and Loan on Tuesday

  • Those funds will support the bank’s “100 by 100th” initiative, which aims to bring in $10 million to help 100 families to become homeowners by the end of next year

  • The lender is the sixth oldest African American-owned bank in the nation

“This hope is that they will support and build over 100 homes in the inner city of Milwaukee, and that is part of the most exciting thing that we’re doing at the RNC Host Committee,” MKE 2024 Host Committee CEO Ted Kellner said.

The Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee made a $100,000 deposit Tuesday at Columbia Savings and Loan. As the city’s only minority-owned bank, the lender has set a goal to bring in $10 million as part of its “100 by the 100th” drive to help 100 families become homeowners by the end of next year to celebrate its centennial anniversary next fall.

“Milwaukee has one of the lowest homeownership rates for African Americans of any major metro in the country, but we’re here to help you, mayor, to change that,” Will Martin, who serves as executive vice president of Columbia Savings and Loan Association, explained.

“I did not imagine though that more homeownership would be a direct result of the convention going here,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson added. “I’m pleased by it, very, very pleased by it.

So far, Columbia Savings and Loan has raised more than $6 million of its $10 million goal.

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