Personal experience drives Malik Cupid’s housing efforts 

The topic of affordable housing resonates strongly with Malik Cupid of Cupid Development.   

Before arriving in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cupid was raised by his single mother in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the United States – Harlem, New York City. With an income of about $30,000 per year, Cupid’s mother managed to pay for a K-12 parochial education for Cupid and his sister thanks to affordable housing statutes. 

“If my mother had to divert the bulk of her resources to market rate housing, she would not have been able to make the best educational choices for her children,” said Cupid, who also has a career in special education. At any given time, he noted, “there are roughly 19,000 homeless students in Milwaukee…A student’s living condition directly impacts their learning in so many ways. So, addressing something as simple as making housing affordable can have a lasting impact on this community for generations.”  

Cupid also places a high priority on strengthening the connections among workforce development, affordable housing and the role of emerging developers. 

“There may be an opportunity for large employers across the state to do more to secure their workforce by partnering with emerging developers to create housing opportunities,” he said. 

 In describing his vision for affordable housing, Cupid offered a future news headline he’d like to see: “The Badger State Takes on Affordable Housing by Diversifying Developers.”