A tenant/landlord counselor is concerned about a state Senate bill (SB 107) that would prohibit communities from placing certain limits on property owners who look into renters’ criminal backgrounds or income levels.
Although the Tenant Resource Center has no official position, Executive Director Brenda Konkel says lower income Wisconsinites will find themselves with fewer choices and relegated to parts of town where landlords don’t keep up their property.
The Madison-based group provides counseling and education throughout Wisconsin. However with recent funding cuts Konkel says the changes from SB 107 will affect them in a time when they lack the staffing to catch up.
The bill’s author, Republican Frank Lasee, has said with landlords often held responsible for a tenant’s crime in home, it makes sense to allow those property owners to screen based on a renter’s background.
AUDIO: Brian Moon reports (1:07)
