District 11 Town Hall on Tenants' Rights on Tuesday, July 30th at 7:00 pm (Hybrid Meeting)

What:  District 11 Town Hall: " Tenants' Rights"  (Hybrid)
When: Tuesday, July 30, 2024 from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm
Where: Seqyoya Library In-Person Meeting Rooms A and B Combined or via Zoom.  Registration for attending the zoom meeting is required at https://bit.ly/30July2024
 

Wisconsin is known as a landlord-friendly state due to the absence of rent control laws, which prevent local governments from implementing rent control or regulating rents and fees for rental units. This allows landlords to charge more than fair market values. In Madison, where the demand for affordable housing is high, rents are rising at one of the fastest rates in the country. Earlier this year, some residents in District 11 experienced significant rent increases, posing challenges for many to afford to continue living in our neighborhood, near family members, friends, workplaces, schools, stores, and bus routes.

Image credit: City of Madison

While the city lacks the authority to regulate rents and fees for rental units, I can leverage my position as Alder to promote resources that provide access to conflict resolution services and educate tenants and landlords about their rights and responsibilities. Therefore, I am pleased to announce another District 11 Town Hall scheduled for Tuesday, July 30th at 7:00 pm at the Sequoya Library. Joining us will be Hannah Renfro, a District 11 resident and the Executive Director of the Tenant Resource Center and Ximena Linares-Rodriguez, Mediation Services Lead at the Tenant Resource Center. The Tenant Resource Center is a nonprofit membership organization committed to promoting positive relationships between rental housing consumers and providers across Wisconsin. Prior to her role as Executive Director, Hannah practiced law for over 15 years, focusing on litigation and employment law.

The topics covered at the town hall will include landlord-tenant relationships and rental agreements, rent increases, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and considerations regarding student tenants. There will also be dedicated time for a Q&A session. This event will be in a hybrid format for those wishing to attend remotely. All community members are welcome to attend either in person at the Sequoya Library or remotely via Zoom. You can join the Zoom meeting using your computer, smartphone, or landline telephone. Those attending remote will receive login information after registering in advance by visiting: https://bit.ly/30July2024.

Locally Sourced News on this Topic

• Murphy, Eric. "West-side Madison tenants fight back, organize against rent hikes." Isthmus, 21 Feb. 2024, isthmus.com/news/news/west-side-tenants-fight-back-organize-against-rent-hikes/  Accessed 19 July 2024.
• Schulz, Joe. "‘I’m essentially breaking even every month’: Wisconsin renters struggle with rising prices." Wisconsin Public Radio, 15 March 2024, www.wpr.org/economy/im-essentially-breaking-even-every-month-wisconsin-renters-struggle-with-rising-prices  Accessed 19July 2024
• Marner, Wes and Will Ochowicz. "Madison has a housing crisis and we need to build more housing." Isthmus, 19 March 2024, isthmus.com/opinion/opinion/madison-has-a-housing-crisis-and-we-need-to-more-housing/ Accessed 19 July 2024
• Merck, Kathryn. "Call for Action: Tenants at Madison west side apartment property face 20-40% rent hikes." Channel 3000, 1 April 2024, www.channel3000.com/news/call-for-action-tenants-at-madison-west-side-apartment-property-face-20-40-rent-hikes/article_166d9240-f082-11ee-852c-9f35bcb5d9fb.html Accessed 19 July 2024.
• Wegehaupt, Nate. "Housing Snapshot Outlines Stark Reality Of Housing In Madison." WORT 89.9 FM, 26 June 2023, www.wortfm.org/housing-snapshot-outlines-stark-reality-of-housing-in-madison/ Accessed 19 July 2024
• Garfield, Allison. "Why Madison rents are rising so fast and won’t slow down." The Cap Times, 17 May 2023,   captimes.com/news/government/why-madison-rents-are-rising-so-fast-and-won-t-slow-down/article_f9ecedc6-2e86-5fd1-8533-8cd6d1e2d3c8.html. Accessed 19 July 2023.