Dane County could become the first county in Wisconsin and the second place in the nation to pass a law that would protect illegal aliens from landlord discrimination. County Board Supervisor Paul Rusk says the law would ban landlords from requiring a social security number on a rental application. Rusk adds that the law does not unfairly protect undocumented immigrants, as many of them already have social security information. He says the issue is protecting people from giving out unnecessary personal information that could lead to identity theft.
The law would also end discrimination against people with criminal records by requiring landlords to accept a tenant who can pay the rent, unless they are a registered sex offender or have been out of prison for less than two years.
County Executive Kathleen Falk vetoed a similar ordinance last year because it allowed landlords to turn away renters who use federal housing vouchers. Rusk says that loophole has been fixed.
(Contributed by Jason Fischer-WIBA)
AUDIO: Brian Moon reports (MP3 :70)
