The Wisconsin Moratorium on utility shut offs ended on April 15, 2021. If you are behind in utility payments, your service provider may disconnect your utilities. You can prevent utility shut offs by contacting your service provider and by utilizing Energy Assistance. Call (414) 270-4653 for help!

• If you cannot pay your utility bill, talk to your utility service company and ask for a deferred payment plan. Utility service companies are required to offer deferred payment plans, which allows you to make partial payments on your bill.

• Energy Assistance is available to help eligible applicants pay their utility bill though the state’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). If you have not yet applied for assistance in this benefit year (since October 1, 2020) you can apply by visiting KEEPWARMMKE.ORG, by calling (414) 270-4-MKE (4653) for a phone appointment, or directly on the Energy Plus website HERE. If you applied for rent assistance from Community Advocates or from SDC, you can also receive utility assistance funds for balances not covered by Energy Assistance. Apply for Energy Assistance first to maximize the available resources.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email the RHRC team at info@renthelpmke.org or call (414) 895-7368.

Watch this video to learn about the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center – who we are and how we are changing Milwaukee’s rental housing system.

Over the past two decades, the percentage of renter households that spend at least half their income on housing has grown from 21% to 30%. The #COVID19​​ pandemic made it even harder for families to keep up with rent payments. The RHRC connects tenants experiencing financial hardship with trusted resources to prevent eviction. In this video, hear from Maricela Gaona, the Eviction Prevention Specialist at the Milwaukee County Housing Division.

Learn about Hope House from Wendy Weckler, the Executive Director at Hope House. RHRC co-partners, including Hope House, collectively administered $13 million in rent assistance in 5 months in 2020. These payments enabled tenants and landlords to avoid eviction and to maintain stable housing.

Raphael Ramos coordinates the Eviction Defense Project at Legal Action of Wisconsin. Attorneys like Raphael meet RHRC clients’ legal needs, providing in-court representation, brief legal consultations, and document drafting.

Community Advocates is one of nine co-partners that comprise the Rental Housing Resource Center. Community Advocates provides a broad array of housing services, including access to rent assistance, case management and tenant-landlord communication. Their work directly supports the RHRC’s mission: to connect people to housing resources – regardless of age, race, gender, family situation, or housing history.

Colleen Foley, Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, speaks to the collaboration between RHRC co-partners. In June 2020, Milwaukee County evictions were filed at a rate 42% higher than eviction filings in June 2019. Eviction filings are expected increase explosively when the CDC eviction moratorium expires. Tenants can connect with experienced attorneys from The Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee at the RHRC to prepare for a court date.

In this video, learn about how #housingstability​​ is beneficial to landlords, too. Heiner Giese, who represents the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, makes a case for landlords’ support of eviction prevention efforts.

Landlord-tenant mediation is a key tool in eviction diversion in Milwaukee. This video features Amy Koltz from Mediate Wisconsin (known locally as Mediate Milwaukee). Mediate Wisconsin is one of 9 co-partners of the RHRC, who collaborate to meet the complex and varied needs tenants at risk of eviction.