WAA: Housing providers form COVID-19 task force to assist residents and owners

The Wisconsin Apartment Association (WAA) has created a diverse, bi-partisan, statewide COVID-19 Task Force (Task Force) to be a resource for and provide information, non-legal advice, and support to residents in rental housing impacted by the virus and the statewide shut-down. The WAA Task Force’s mission includes acting as a sounding board to the Governor and Wisconsin court system on non-legal, business and financial impacts and matters that are created by the pandemic.

WAA recognizes the extreme emotional and financial stress that many multi-family residents and housing providers are going through during this time, especially given no one has gone through this before and many don’t have the resources to know how to best proceed. Most rental housing in Wisconsin is owned by individuals and small businesses that also have their own financial obligations, the largest of which are paying the mortgage and property taxes, in addition to utilities, payroll, cleaning crews, insurance, municipal fees, and dozens of other expenses. WAA recognizes that certain residents who have lost their jobs and income are at risk and housing providers want to work with residents to get through this crisis as fast as possible. Likewise, if residents can’t pay their rent, then the housing providers are also at risk of not being able to pay their mortgages and property taxes, which creates a snowball effect on banks, municipalities and vendors.