The City of Sun Prairie and Sunshine Place have announced the arrival of Tenant Resource Center (TRC) to the community, addressing a significant need in Sun Prairie.
According to the city’s press release, TRC offers a comprehensive range of services, encompassing housing counseling, eviction prevention, housing mediation, outreach and education.
“Functioning as a central housing resource hub for the Sun Prairie community, the program's primary focus areas include delivering housing counseling to numerous households, facilitating direct referrals to legal services for tenants facing evictions and organizing outreach, educational and training events,” the release said. “Additionally, all services are accessible in both English and Spanish. Following almost a year of careful planning, this resource is now actively providing housing information and services to individuals and families in need.”
Discussions initiated between the city and Sunshine Place with the aim of introducing services from TRC to the community in May 2023. TRC previously participated in Sun Prairie’s Affordable Housing Month, where they conducted programming focusing on evictions. This engagement prompted ongoing conversations between the City and Sunshine Place, leading to a collaborative exploration of opportunities to establish a strategic partnership to bring TRC's resources to the area.
The initiative was then deliberated during a Housing Committee meeting, ultimately concluding with committee members expressing interest in exploring funding opportunities to support it. Funding for the initiative was successfully secured through a collaborative partnership between the city, leveraging resources from the affordable housing fund and receiving financial support from Dane County.
“I am immensely grateful for the collaboration between our community partners in bringing such a necessary resource to assist our community’s housing needs,” Executive Director of Sunshine Place Ann Maastricht said.
TRC services are now accessible at Sunshine Place, located at 1632 West Main St., Suite 170. Bilingual staff are available for drop-ins on Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with virtual appointments conducted from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. On Wednesdays, drop-ins are available throughout the day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bilingual staff also welcome drop-ins on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It is my hope that all who desire to call Sun Prairie home can do so without barriers and enjoy the high quality of life we strive to provide,” Mayor Paul Esser said. “Incorporating support and services from the Tenant Resource Center is a step in the right direction to achieving that.”