EDDP Updates

We Can Help You Make Informed Decisions

Our offices are currently open 9 AM - 6 PM, but you can always call our Eviction Diversion and Defense Partnership "EDDP" Team.

If you want more information or to discuss your situation, you always have the option to talk to a housing counselor ahead of time by calling (608) 257-0006 or contacting us online. If you are calling about an upcoming eviction, make sure to select urgent housing counseling.

Currently, the Court House holds eviction hearings via ZOOM (hearings occur on Tuesdays) whereas trials are in-person (trials occur on Fridays). Tenants MUST show up to their Zoom proceeding if they have received a notice / trial date. 

***Not attending a Zoom hearing may result in an eviction by default.***

When you are scheduled for an eviction hearing, you probably will have a lot of questions about your rights as a tenant. In order to get those questions answered, a housing counselor from the Tenant Resource Center is available to answer your questions. If you do not have a phone or internet device to access your court hearing please contact us ASAP and we will assist as we can to make sure you have access.

Housing counselors are not attorneys and will not be able to give you legal advice or represent you in court.

Get Information Early

In order to have time to discuss your case, it is important that you call us before your scheduled hearing time. If you do not attend your scheduled court appearance, you could lose your case by default.

Need More Time?

If you still need more time to get information, collect evidence or obtain an attorney, you can always ask for a trial on a different date. In Dane county, trials are usually held the following Friday in front of a judge. You also have the right to request a jury trial, which may take longer to schedule and it will cost you $36. Fees may be waived depending upon your income.

Eviction Tips

1. When eviction has been filed, it can only help to attend small claims court, If you don't show up, you're automatically evicted. Future landlords will see that you have an eviction on your record. That's why it’s always worth it to show up to court and try to mediate, negotiate with your landlord or at least advocate for what will make it easiest for you to move out without an eviction. Many landlords use eviction as a tool to enforce payment plans. Your landlord may be willing to negotiate with you. It can’t hurt to ask!
2. Know your rights! Landlords make mistakes or aren't always right about the law or the process. There may be ways to prevent your eviction that you haven’t thought about. It’s always good to ask your questions of people who are at small claims court every week and thoroughly understand the eviction process and tenant-landlord law. Call the Tenant Resource Center, stop by our office or talk to us at court!
3. Try Mediation. Mediation is an opportunity to work out an agreement between you and your landlord. If you don't come to an agreement in mediation, you can still go in front of the court commissioner and have a hearing. Ask about mediation services at the court house. The mediator can walk you through the process and see if you and the landlord can come to an agreement.
4. Don't agree to something you can't do. We talk to many tenants that agree to things they can't do and ultimately get evicted. If the landlord is pressuring you to do something you can't do, it might be better to just agree to a move out date or take your chances with the judge or court commissioner. 
5. Ask for what you want! You never know, the court commissioner or judge might side with you. If the landlord says you need to be out by tomorrow and you can't get out until Saturday, speak up! Let the court know what works for you and they can also help mediate.
6. Need more time? Sometimes you get to court and the landlord says something you didn’t expect, you have additional information, or need more time to get an attorney. You can try to negotiate right there, or you can ask for a trial on another date. Trials are usually held that same week on Friday unless you ask for a jury trial (costs $36), then it may take more time to schedule.
7. What if the court orders an eviction? Most likely you won’t have to move until the following week. The landlord has to make arrangements with movers or get bonded and arrange the eviction with the Sheriff’s office. The deputies will give you one last notice to move and that takes a few days.
8. Check for another court date! Landlords often schedule a second hearing to determine how much money is owed. Make sure the court has your forwarding address.

Other EDDP Updates

Looking for more information and updates from EDDP? Click here to read more about our Eviction Prevention and Diversion work.

Eviction Prevention Funds

Federal Assistance Available

The Tenant Resource Center currently receives federal funding (commonly referred to as "Emergency Rental Assistance") through the City of Madison and Dane County. These funds allow us to provide up to 18 months of total financial assistance. This program is only available to those who have received an eviction filing or qualify for diversion assistance. If you've received an eviction filing, please contact us at 608-257-0006 and one of our staff members will provide more information about how to get connected to this assistance.

Limited Other Funding

At the Tenant Resource Center we have funding to put towards eviction prevention. If you are getting evicted for nonpayment of rent, there is a chance we might be able to use some of this money to help you pay your landlord and stay in your home. However, the money we have for this program only covers a small percentage of the over $3.6 million that people need to prevent eviction each year in Dane County.

Who Qualifies?

We are primarily serving clients who:

• have been previously homeless,
• have been evicted in the past,
• are currently living in an accessible unit and/or
• are currently living in subsidized housing.

If you fit into one or more of these categories and are being evicted for nonpayment of rent, you can call the Tenant Resource Center at (608) 257-0006 x7 to see if you are eligible for financial assistance.

Call Before You Go to Court

The sooner you call, the more we can help! When you call, you will be asked a lot of questions and might have to talk to more than one person. Thank you in advance for being patient, because we know the process can be frustrating.

If I Qualify, What Happens Next?

If you qualify for financial assistance, you will still need to go to court to ensure that your landlord is willing to accept your payment and let you stay in your current housing. It is important that you show up early to your court date so that you have time to talk to Tenant Resource Center staff ahead of time and finish filling out paperwork. If you have questions about the timing of your court date, you can call the court at (608) 266-4311.

Stay in Touch

Once the court process is finished and your landlord has been paid, it is important to stay in touch with the Tenant Resource Center in order to get your questions answered, prevent future problems, and stay in your current housing.