Housing Law for Case Managers and Service Providers: Tenant-Landlord Law & the Application Process
Presentation slides available here.
Resources linked in the video:
- Tenant Resource Center pages and resources: Preparing to Rent, Small Claims Court Tips, Discrimination, Criminal History Blog Post for Landlords & Criminal History Blog Post for Tenants
- DATCP complaint form, useful for Earnest Money complaints
- Conditions of habitability needing disclosure, as required in ATCP 134 are listed under ATCP 134.04(2)b
- On April 4, 2016, HUD released “Office of General Counsel Guidance on Application of Fair Housing Act Standards to the Use of Criminal Records by Providers of Housing and Real Estate-Related Transactions."
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Housing discrimination enforcement agencies:
- City of Madison: City of Madison Department of Civil Rights
- Dane County: Dane County Corporation Counsel
- Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin Equal Rights Division and State Courts
- Federal level: Housing and Urban Development Fair Housing Enforcement and the Federal Courts
- For help dealing with discrimination around Wisconsin, contact the Fair Housing Council. They help both tenants and landlords understand how to comply with fair housing law.
Understanding Differences in Low-Income Housing: Subsidized Housing, Section 8 Vouchers and Affordable Housing
Presentation slides available here.
Resources linked in the video:
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Subsidized Housing:
- The TRC's Dane Co. Subsidized Housing List,
- The Wisconsin Association of Housing Authorities has a list of open units here
- HUD's Public Housing Info page
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Section 8:
- TRC Section 8 Application Blog & TRC Section 8 Termination Info
- For Section 8 program terminations, it is crucial for that participant to request a hearing, in writing, within 10 days of receiving that termination notice. Here’s a sample letter.
- It is also incredibly important for program participants to contact legal help for terminations from a Section 8 program. Dane County residents are in the Legal Action of Wisconsin territory, while many Northern Wisconsin counties are under the care of Judicare.
- HUD's Housing Choice Voucher page
- CDA's Section 8 program
- DCHA's Housing Choice Voucher program
- TRC Discrimination info
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Section 42:
- TRC’s Affordable Housing List (Dane Co. only)
- WHEDA’s list of Properties is available here, by selecting “Active Monitored Tax Credit Projects”
- National Housing Law Project Affordable Housing Information
- WHEDA’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Compliance Manual (download)
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Housing Authorities:
- Wisconsin Housing Authorities: List of authorities here. In “type” column, “Low-Rent” and “Combined” designations indicate the presence of subsidized housing. In the “Type” column, “Section 8” and “Combined” designations indicate the presence of housing choice vouchers.
- The CDA, or Community Development Authority, which administers vouchers and public housing within the City of Madison
- The DCHA, or Dane County Housing Authority, which administers vouchers and public housing within Dane County, but outside of the City of Madison
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Other resources:
- HUD & WHEDA
- In Dane County, clients can receive support in finding housing through the Housing Resource Desk at the Dane County Job Center or the Beacon. Their housing programs are available here.
- Additional legal information is available from the National Housing Law Project
A Practical Guide in Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Housing: The Real Life Housing Search
Presentation slides available here.
Resources linked in the video:
- CCAP, Wisconsin's online court records system. (Note: just because there was a hearing, does not mean that the defendant was at fault)
- TRC's CCAP Blog Post
- Wisconsin Offender Locator
- TRC's page on Credit Reports
- All WI residents may request one free credit report per year from each credit bureau. Free Annual Credit Reports Here
- The Federal Trade Commission enforces federal fair credit reporting laws. File Consumer Complaints Here, or call 1-877-FTC-HELP
- TRC Blog with Sample Letters, including: Inaccurate landlord references, Criminal history, Money owed to a past landlord, Credit problems