HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.08.21 RHAB Full AgendaRental Housing Advisory Board
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
3:30 PM
Meeting Information:
Link: https://tinyurl.com/sry57u4
Password: euJheBVg228 (38543284 from phones and video systems)
Phone Number: 1-510-338-9438 Access Code: 2554 547 9496
To Whom It May Concern:
Please note the City of Oshkosh Rental Housing Advisory Board will meet on Wednesday,
December 8, 2021 at 3:30pm via WebEx to consider the following agenda:
I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Citizen Statements
IV. Approval of Minutes – October 13, 2021
V. Rental Assistance Update – Lu Scheer, ADVOCAP
VI. Landlord Resources & Eviction Expungement – Michael Rust, Winnebago County
Conflict Resolution Center
VII. Rental Inspections Update
VIII. Social Media Update
IX. Winnebago County Eviction Data Update
X. Housing Study Update
XI. Public Information Campaign – Tenant and Landlord Rights
XII. Other Business
XIII. Adjournment
Rental Housing Advisory Board Minutes 1
Rental Housing Advisory Board Minutes
October 13, 2021
Present: Lynnsey Erickson, Linda Jevaltas, Todd Hutchison, Timothy Ernst, Alec Gulan, TJ
Hobbs
Excused: Lateria Garrett, Lydia Christensen, Donn Lord
Staff: John Zarate; Chief Building Official, Anna Maier; Administrative Assistant
I. Call to Order
Ernst called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm.
II. Roll Call
Roll call was taken and a quorum declared present.
III. Welcome New Member – Tj Hobbs
Hobbs introduced themself and explained their background and interest in rental housing issues.
RHAB welcomed Hobbs to the board.
IV. Citizen Statements
There were no citizen statements.
V. Approval of Minutes – August 11, 2021
The minutes of the August 11, 2021 meeting were approved as written. (Erickson/Hutchison)
VI. ADVOCAP Rental Assistance Update
Lu Scheer stated that ADVOCAP has provided $10,812,811 of assistance, $6,593,570 of which was for
Winnebago County. She estimates that 60% or $3,956,142 of the assistance provided for Winnebago
County was for Oshkosh. They have paid up to 15 months and can now provide up to 18 months
through WERA. CDBG-CV funds have been set aside by the City to assist people exceeding 18 months.
The amount of people who are homeless has increased substantially in the last two years. It has
increased by 400% in Wisconsin and 37% in the counties they serve. There are over 300 people on their
waitlist for affordable housing units. They’re finding that single people and small families are renting
units larger than they need because nothing else is available. Some landlords are receiving backlash
for choosing to lease to people receiving WERA funding rather than homeless people.
Scheer stated that ADVOCAP received over 100 calls in one week from traditional UW-Oshkosh
students. Whether or not they are listed as a dependent on someone else’s taxes determines if they’re
Rental Housing Advisory Board Minutes 2
eligible for assistance. It was never an intended consequence that they would pay housing costs for
college students while they’re moving to school. They have assisted over 50,500 people, a high
percentage of which really needed the funds. They’re getting a few more requests for water. They’re
also being asked what training and expertise they would need in terms of staffing for a homeowner
assistance program.
Jevaltas asked how traditional college students are eligible for the funding.
Scheer replied that they’re saying they’ve been affected by COVID-19 because they are unable to find
part-time jobs.
Jevaltas asked if that is considered legitimate.
Scheer replied that it is because it has affected their income.
Jevaltas asked if they are being referred elsewhere for assistance finding work.
Scheer replied that they always talk with people to see if they have other needs and if they could be
referred to other programs or resources. It is a self-attestation form, meaning they attest to the fact by
their signature. The Department of the Treasury would be responsible for verifying that what
recipients report on their application matches their taxes. That is not ADVOCAP’s role.
Hutchison asked when the program will end.
Scheer replied that it will end in 2025. WERA I dollars are good through the end of the year and
WERA II dollars are good through 2025 or until the funds run out. Some states are not running the
program. Those funds could be returned and reallocated at some point, but they don’t know yet.
Hutchison asked if the college students are saying that they can’t find work because they’re afraid of
catching COVID or because there aren’t any jobs available.
Scheer replied that there’s no case management. It’s all self-declaration. They’re attesting to this. Again,
it is not ADVOCAP’s role to audit the information. ADVOCAP can ask if they need assistance in
finding employment, but that’s all they can do.
Erickson asked if the 1,500 people assisted so far are in the ADVOCAP service area or in Winnebago
County.
Scheer replied that they are in the four counties ADVOCAP serves.
Erickson asked if they have staff who are able to assist applicants who speak and read other languages
besides English and Spanish.
Scheer replied that they have received requests for Spanish, Hmong, and sign language. They have
been able to accommodate each request and have staff available to interpret.
Rental Housing Advisory Board Minutes 3
RHAB thanked Scheer for her time.
VII. Rental Inspections Update
Zarate stated that Inspection Services completed 13 complaint-based inspections since the last meeting.
There were a total of 88 violations for the usual things like smoke detectors, leaking pipes, bad wiring,
and loose handrails.
Ernst asked when mandatory inspections might start up again.
Zarate replied that they will start back up when the pandemic slows down again, but it is difficult to
predict when that will be.
Jevaltas asked if there are any outstanding complaints that have not been resolved by landlords.
Zarate replied affirmatively. About 95% of complaints are resolved within thirty business days. The
other 5% might be larger projects or there are other problems landlords are trying to avoid with
evictions. They’re not serious safety issues like smoke detectors which are resolved very quickly.
Hobbs asked how rental complaints are handled and who is responsible for them.
Zarate replied that their Housing Inspector, Casey Koelbl, is responsible for following up with tenants
and sending a notice to landlords. In a lot of cases they have their e-mail address because of the rental
registry program, so they’re able to resolve those complaints quickly.
Hobbs asked if they would only have the e-mail addresses if a registration happened recently.
Zarate replied that they cannot require landlords to provide an e-mail address when registering for
the program. It’s optional, but it has worked out well for them and they do have a lot of them in the
system.
VIII. Social Media Update
Zarate stated that the Rent Smart program information was posted to Facebook since the last meeting.
Anything that they’d like posted can be sent to staff.
Jevaltas stated that she looked at the Facebook page and there are photos from Vermont that have
nothing to do with their program. It might be a good idea to include photos from the Farmer’s Market.
The landlord and tenant guide was on there, but it was very small and difficult to read. She suggested
including a link for the guide because the pages are all out of order and it’s not inviting to look at.
Zarate replied that there are photos from the 2018 Farmer’s Market, but he doesn’t see anything from
Vermont.
Ernst explained that anytime a photo is attached to a post, even if it’s just informational, that photo
Rental Housing Advisory Board Minutes 4
will show up in the photos area of the page. Otherwise they are just listed chronologically starting
with most recent.
IX. Winnebago County Eviction Data Update
Erickson shared updated data through September. There were 62 evictions filed in September. The
average number of evictions before the pandemic was 53 per month. The CDC eviction moratorium
ended at the end of the August, so that could be why they’re starting to see that number creep back up.
In February 2021, 70% of filings resulted in a judgement and that was one of the higher months that
they saw. For 2021, 104 evictions have been filed so far for 2021 and around 40% resulted in a
judgement where an eviction actually occurred.
Ernst asked how the Eviction Task Force is responding to this data.
Erickson replied that they placed a few ads in the Herald about the WERA program. Some of the
partners involved are from the Winnebago County Conflict Resolution Center. They offer mediation
between landlord and tenant before anything results in an eviction. They also work with Legal Action
of Wisconsin to help provide more legal services for tenants. Most recently they applied for City
ARPA funds to potentially hire a Community Case Manager. The position would provide case
management for tenants who are at risk of eviction or going through the eviction process and connect
them with resources to hopefully prevent an eviction from occurring.
Jevaltas asked if Erickson knew of any planned projects or developments for low income housing
through HUD or anything like that.
Erickson replied that Council approved a tax incremental district for the redevelopment of Smith
School into lower income apartment units at their meeting last night. They’re trying to figure out how
to encourage similar developments that will work given the increasing cost for developers. She thinks
the housing study will be able to identify some of those strategies.
X. Affordable Housing Study Update
This item was postponed until the next meeting.
XI. Public Information Campaign – Tenant and Landlord Rights
Jevaltas stated that the Legal Tune Up resource allows people to have an eviction expunged from their
record if certain criteria are met. She encouraged RHAB to share the link with relevant groups.
Ernst replied that the evictions accrued during the pandemic is an issue this board should pursue as
best they can because the numbers are pretty disturbing both in terms of the number of filings and the
number of judgements when a moratorium was supposed to be in effect. It creates a permanent
disadvantage for people looking for housing, even when it occurred perhaps unfairly during a
moratorium. He said that the resource could be shared on Facebook and added to the information
campaign.
Rental Housing Advisory Board Minutes 5
Erickson stated that the Conflict Resolution Center has some experience with expungement work. She
asked if RHAB would be interested in having Michael Rust attend the next meeting to talk through
what that looks like and what he’s seeing in the courts.
Ernst replied that he thinks that would be very useful given their mission.
Ernst stated that RHAB received a few drafts of the brochure and poster. He thanked Jevaltas for her
work on the campaign and Erickson and Hutchison for their feedback. The program is called THRIVE,
which is an acronym for Tenant Rights, Healthy Homes, Responsible Communication, Improve
Housing, Voice Issues, and Empower. The bottom of the poster has links to the City website and place
for a QR code. The QR code would link to a site containing links to various resources. They would
need to figure out the content of the website, how to build it, and translations for other languages. The
design is very basic and open for discussion.
Ernst stated that he knows the design is pretty rough and he doesn’t know how to make a brochure,
but staff could hopefully help them with this. The front page of the brochure would have a logo that
hasn’t been designed yet and each page would have more details about each letter of the acronym. The
back page would have a list of resources similar to the brochure they developed a few years ago. He
asked for if RHAB had any feedback.
Jevaltas replied that for the logo on the first page, she would like to see a circle that has the landlord,
tenant, and city representing the three components working together so that tenants know it’s not just
them and the landlord.
Ernst replied that her idea makes sense to him. He’s not much of a designer and he doesn’t know how
much of this they will need to do themselves. What he wanted to do today was set out a framework
for what the campaign would be about, what the mission is, and how they would pursue the mission.
Hobbs replied that they love the layout Ernst presented. In their experience, the board already has all
of the elements a graphic designer would need to work with. They learned that there are ways to
apply for funding for specific projects at the last Council meeting they attended. The board did a great
job of organizing it and now the next step is paying a graphic designer. They think it would be
appropriate to request funding through the city because it’s not something the board should be
expected to pay for on their own.
Ernst replied that the next step would probably be figuring out how to get it made, published, and
printed. He would like to finalize as much of it as they can today so they can get it printed sooner
rather than later.
Jevaltas stated that responsibly communicate should be changed to responsible communication
because that sounds a little better.
Ernst replied that Erickson provided feedback that action verbs are generally more actionable.
Rental Housing Advisory Board Minutes 6
Erickson replied that she couldn’t think of a better way to say that with a verbal action. Whatever they
think sounds good is fine.
Ernst replied that he would like to keep the verbiage consistent.
Jevaltas replied that they probably want the poster to be a bit fancier. The brochure doesn’t have to be
as fancy as the poster. She likes the yellow because it’s eye-catching.
Zarate stated that staff could help with the brochure like they did previously. The funding could be
pulled from the Rental Registry program budget through Inspection Services.
Ernst thanked Zarate for his input and asked if Zarate could figure out a contact person for them to
setup a meeting to discuss the graphic design elements.
Ernst asked if anyone had any feedback regarding the content and general framing. He likes the idea
of the three parts interacting for the logo. The websites that the poster scans to doesn’t need to be
super elaborate, it’s just a list of resources like links and contact information. He is going to assume
that they can move forward and contact a graphic designer to help them with that.
Hutchison asked if staff could get the brochure into a graphic format for them within the next month.
Zarate replied that the Planning Division has a lot of brochures and people on staff who know how to
create brochures. He will reach out to them to see if they could help out.
Hutchison replied that it would be great if they could have it finished in two weeks so it could be sent
out for feedback again, but they have a great start here.
Ernst replied that he would be happy to meet with staff to talk about the vision and work on putting
something together. Branding is important here, so they want to make sure it looks nice.
Hutchison stated that Ernst did a really great job getting it to this point and getting it moving. He
thanked everyone who contributed, but wanted to thank Ernst and Jevaltas especially because they
really were the driving force behind this. He provided some comments to Ernst in separate e-mails..
The first being that this should be landlords and tenants working together, but the wording is just
focused on tenants. The second being that the link taking them to the onboarding page was very
confusing, so he thinks a more simplified page would be appropriate. He’s sure the city has a
webmaster who can create the QR page with all of the links for them. That would make more sense
than the onboarding website.
Ernst replied that he will go through and try to add landlord to a few more areas. They will have to
figure out who they can talk to about having a website made so they can put the link in the brochure
before they publish it. He asked Zarate who could help with that.
Zarate replied that he would follow up with Media Services.
Rental Housing Advisory Board Minutes 7
Ernst stated that he will finish final edits to the brochure and have staff send it out for feedback. He
would like to use the brochure as a model when he meets with the designer for what they’d like to do
moving forward. He asked Zarate to keep him in the loop regarding staff contacts for the graphic
design elements. He would be happy to meet with them as well. He thought bus ads could be effective,
but he doesn’t know how to make or pay for those. He noticed there was a large public transit
presence in similar campaigns.
Erickson replied that maybe they could discuss ideas for ad options at the next meeting.
Ernst replied they would add a housing study update and additional elements for the information
campaign to the next agenda.
XII. Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:45 PM. (Erickson/Jevaltas)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Average (2016-2019)
January 15 33 49 61 68 47 40
February 53 40 36 51 70 33 45
March 42 35 34 56 40 33 42
April 29 26 40 56 4 35 38
May 54 42 59 58 35 61 53
June 50 41 75 56 84 58 56
July 55 41 49 69 65 45 54
August 49 56 40 86 78 30 57
September 55 30 62 62 47 47 51
October 62 40 45 64 42 61 52
November 42 30 63 82 53 50 53
December 29 48 49 66 51 49
Total 535 462 601 767 637 500
Renter-occupied housing units2469724657 24570 24641.33
Eviction Rate 2.17%1.87%2.45%3.11%
40 45 42 38
53 56 54 57 51 52 53 49
2016 -2019
The average number of evictions filed monthly in Winnebago
County are highest in the summer.
535
462
601
767
637
500
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Number of evictions filed each year in Winnebago
County
By working together
renters in Oshkosh can
Q R C O D E T O
E N G L I S H
L A N G U A G E
V E R S I O N O F
W E B P A G E
THRIVE
Tenant Rights
Healthy Homes
Responsibly
Communicate
Improve Housing
Voice Issues
Empower Others
Brought to you by City of Oshkosh Rental Housing Advisory Board
Scan the QR codes with your phone to
THRIVE in our city
visit onboard.ci.oshkosh.wi.us
LOGO All renters in Oshkosh can THRIVE Tenant Rights Healthy Homes Responsibly Communication Improve housing stock Voice issues Empower others Brought to you by the City of Oshkosh and the Rental Housing Advisory Board front page Tenant Rights – Wisconsin Statute Ch 704 and WI Admin Code: ATCP 134 detail the rights and duties of landlords and tenants. Rights and duties are enforced through local ordinances. In exchange for rent payments, tenants are entitled to: ✔ Rights during eviction proceedings ✔ Protection from landlord entry without 12 hour notice, except in case of emergencies ✔ Full return of security deposit, less any non-paid rent or a list of required repairs ✔ Freedom from landlord retaliation when exercising rights ✔ Peaceful enjoyment of your dwellings Habitable Dwellings – The vast majority of rentals in Oshkosh are owned by “mom and pop” landlords, or those who own only 2-3 properties. No matter how many properties a provider manages, all dwellings must meet health and safety standards set by national, state, and local laws. There are a number of programs and services in place to help you keep your dwelling safe: The Inspection Services Division enforces housing codes. If your dwelling is in disrepair, despite requests to the housing provider, Inspection Services can perform an inspection at your request. Inspections are not a tool to punish landlords, but a way to maintain tenant rights and the viability to the housing stock. The Rental Inspection Program, run by Inspections Services Division, examines rental properties for housing code compliance. Landlords cannot accept or decline inspections on behalf of the tenant. Tenants cannot be charged or fined by the landlord for compliance with the program. Responsible Communication - Landlords must responsibly communicate intent to enter the dwelling, for any reason, by providing 12 hours notice to the tenant. Landlords must also communicate changes in the rental agreement so that the tenant can accept, before the changes are implemented. Tenants should complete a move-in report and return to the property manager within 7 days of moving in. Record any and all damages, along with pictures to document. Tenants may also request a list of previous damages from the landlord. Write to landlords. All communication with your landlord, including repair requests, security deposit disputes, and move-in/move-out forms should be done in writing. When things are wrong with the dwelling, tenants should take photos for proof. When communicating with landlords, tenants should assert the relevant right, and ask for what you want. Landlords should provide a timely reply. Tenants should make sure to follow up. Leave a forwarding address with your landlord upon lease termination to help get your security deposit returned.
Improving Housing Stock – The number of renters in Oshkosh grows, and with it the need for habitable and affordable dwellings. Throughout the city, improvements need to be made in terms of affordability and quality. The city’s Planning Services Division offers no-interest loans and grants to home owners. Four different revitalization programs, designed to help first-time home owners, as well as homeowners needing some help with improvements and beautification. Programs also provide grants and low-interest loans to landlords for improvements and repairs. Voice Issues – Effective communication is only useful when tenants are willing to speak for themselves. Knowledge of laws and rights pertaining to rental housing is best used when it is exercised. Renters in Oshkosh have the opportunity to express their concerns: • Rental Housing Advisory Board Meetings • Responsible communication with Landlords • The city’s Inspection Services division • The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection takes complaints for unauthorized entry, non-returned security deposits, and landlord retaliation RHAB meetings are a great way to communicate your concerns to city staff. RHAB meets the second Wednesday of every even-number month, at 3:30PM. You can communicate with the board via email, or in person at a meeting. Go to onboard.ci.oshkosh.wi.us to learn more about RHAB and how to contact them. Empower Others – As a renter, you are not just a customer. You are a human with the right to live peacefully. Educating and protecting yourself means you can help your neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers avoid problems too! Tenant unions are springing up nationwide, in response to unprecedented upheaval in housing. Landlords are organized, and have a powerful presence in the state legislature. Organizing tenants at the neighborhood level, or even for individual multi-unit dwellings, can have profound positive effects on tenant living. Report abuses to relevant local and state authorities, especially violations of fair housing laws and local housing codes. Landlords cannot retaliate against you for following the law, or exercising your available rights. Learn more about tenant rights at www.fairhousingwisconsin.com and if you feel you have experienced discrimination in a housing situation, please call Fair Housing Council's toll-free complaint intake line: 1-877-647-3247. RESOURCES Same as back of pink Rental Inspections brochure, with additional resources for COVID, including WERA, landlord/tenant guide from the state, WAA, etc <back page>