REPORTS ON HOUSING INSECURITY,
REPORTER MARISA WOJCIK EXPLORES
HOW EVICTIONS AND FEDERAL RENTAL
ASSISTANCE FITS IN TO
WISCONSIN'S BROADER HOUSING
CRISIS, EVEN AS THE CDC HAS
REINSTATED A PANDEMIC MORATORIUM
WITH THE SPREAD OF THE DELTA
VARIANT OF COVID-19.
>> I MEAN, IT CAN BE TOUGH,
EMOTIONALLY TOUGH WHEN YOU HAVE,
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES LITTLE KIDS
ARE HERE, THEY'RE THERE WITH MOM
AND DAD AND THEY'RE BEING
EVICTED.
>> COMMISSIONER PAUL BURKE SEES
EVERY EVICTION CASE THAT COMES
THROUGH THE BROWN COUNTY
COURTHOUSE.
>> OKAY, COME ON.
>> MOST OF THEM, I'D SAY 90% OF
WHAT WE GENERALLY SEE ARE FOR
NONPAYMENT ISSUES.
>> MEANT TO SLOW DOWN THE SPREAD
OF COVID-19, BURKE SAW FIRSTHAND
HOW THE BAN ON EVICTIONS EMPTIED
OUT THE COURTROOM.
>> NUMBERS-WISE, WE PROBABLY
HAVE ABOUT 20 OR SO ON TODAY,
ALL TOLD.
AND ON PRE-COVID, IT WOULDN'T BE
UNUSUAL FOR US TO HAVE 50 OR 60.
>> PER WEEK?
>> PER WEEK.
>> STATEWIDE, EVICTIONS
DECREASED BY A THIRD WHILE THE
BAN WAS IN PLACE OVER THE LAST
YEAR.
THE MORATORIUM EXPIRED ON
JULY 31ST, BUT DAYS LATER, THE
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL PUT
A NEW ONE IN PLACE, FOR COUNTIES
WITH HIGH TRANSMISSION RATES OF
COVID-19, AS THE DELTA VARIANT
SPREAD RAPIDLY.
>> I GET CALLS AN HOUR BEFORE
THE FIRST COURT DATE, RETURN
DATE --
>> GREEN BAY HOUSING INVENTORY
PROVIDES FREE SERVICES THROUGH
LEGAL ACTION WISCONSIN, AND IF A
TENANT DOES HAVE A LAWYER
PRESENT, IT PROBABLY HIM.
>> TENANTS WOULD BE IN A MUCH
BETTER POSITION IF THEY HAD
REPRESENTATION.
THERE'S THE PROCESS, WHICH IS
DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE NOT
FAMILIAR WITH IT.
>> BUT MOST TENANTS GO THROUGH
THE PROCESS ALONE.
>> THEY WILL COME IN AND I ASK
THEM IF THEY HAVE A LEGAL
DEFENSE AND THEY SAY, YES, I
LOST MY JOB, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR
TWO YEARS AND I'VE ALWAYS PAID
MY RENT AND I LOST MY JOB.
THAT'S WHY I HAVEN'T BEEN
ABLE -- AND THEY THINK THAT'S A
PERFECTLY VALID DEFENSE, AND
IT'S CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDABLE.
AND THEY'RE VERY SURPRISED WHEN
I TELL THEM THAT THAT'S NOT.
>> WITHOUT A LAWYER PRESENT, THE
TENANT IS AT A DISADVANTAGE.
>> IT IS INTIMIDATING TO BE IN A
COURTROOM WHEN YOU'RE NOT USED
TO BEING IN A COURTROOM.
>> IT'S NOT JUST WHAT HAPPENS IN
THE COURTROOM, BUT THE ENTIRE
EVICTION PROCESS IS UNKNOWN
TERRITORY TO MOST RENTERS.
>> THE SPEED OF THE WHOLE
PROCESS IS REALLY SCARY.
I MEAN, IT CAN HAPPEN FROM START
TO FINISH IN THREE TO FOUR
WEEKS, AND THE SHERIFF SHOWS UP
AND MOVES YOU OUT AND THEN
YOU'VE LOST EVERYTHING.
>> I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH
EASILY HUNDREDS OF EVICTIONS.
>> DEPUTY JOSEPH FISHER IN THE
BROWN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
ASSISTS IN REMOVING THE TENANTS,
ONLY IF THEY HAVEN'T LEFT WHEN
THE COURT ORDERED.
>> WHEN SOMEONE TRULY DOES NEED
HELP, I DON'T WANT TO BE THE
PERSON JUST TO REMOVE THEM.
I WANT TO AT LEAST GIVE THEM
SOME SORT OF DIRECTION IF
THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE IT.
>> THE EMOTION AND THE STRESS,
THE FACT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE
GOING THROUGH A CRISIS OF LOSING
HOUSING, ALL OF THAT COMES OUT
AT THE VERY LAST STEP.
>> I THINK THE PANDEMIC REALLY
SHOWED THE DISCONNECT IN
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN LANDLORDS
AND TENANTS.
IT'S BEEN EITHER YOU PAY YOUR
RENT OR YOU DON'T, YOU GET OUT
OR YOU DON'T GET OUT, AND I
THINK THAT THERE'S THIS
MENTALITY THAT YOU JUST DON'T
COMMUNICATE THAT UNTIL IT'S
ALMOST TOO LATE.
>> JOE DEKEYSER OWNS SIX
PROPERTIES IN GREEN BAY, AND TO
HIM, COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT.
>> YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LINE OF
OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR
CLIENT OR FAMILY AND ALSO HAVE
PATIENCE AND THE ABILITY TO
UNDERSTAND THINGS THAT THEY ARE
GOING THROUGH ALSO IN THEIR
LIVES.
>> DEKEYSER SAYS HE'S ONLY
GOTTEN TO THE POINT OF EVICTING
A TENANT ONCE.
>> IN MY SITUATION, ANYWAY, IT
IS THE LAST RESORT.
>> FOR LANDLORDS WITH FAR MORE
PROPERTY, EVICTIONS ARE FAR MORE
COMMON.
>> I PERSONALLY SAW IT RIGHT
HERE IN GREEN BAY, BEING IN THAT
COURTROOM.
YEAH, THERE WERE COMPANIES THAT
THEY HAVE A FULL TIME PERSON
WITH THE FOLDER 6 INCHES WIDE
FULL OF EVICTION NOTICES AND
WENT UP TO THE JUDGE AND JUST
READ ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER,
JUST LIKE IT WAS CALLING OUT
PEOPLE FOR LUNCH.
>> IT'S REALLY USED AS A RENT
COLLECTION TOOL.
>> BRANDON DU PONT IS A DATA
ANALYST WITH THE MEDICAL COLLEGE
OF WISCONSIN.
>> IF YOU HAVE 70% OF YOUR
INCOME IS GOING TO RENT, AND YOU
HAVE A LARGE SHOCK, SO YOUR CAR
BREAKS DOWN OR YOU ARE -- YOUR
KID HAS SOME SORT OF EMERGENCY.
YOU HAVE THIS DECISION, RIGHT,
BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY
OVEREXTENDED FINANCIALLY, DO I
PAY MY LORETTA LYN LANDLORD OR O
FIX MY CAR SO I CAN GET TO WORK,
OR THIS MEDICAL BILL.
OFTENTIMES WHAT THE SERIAL
EVICTION PRACTICE IS DOING IS
IT'S TRYING TO REPRIORITIZE WHO
GETS PAID FIRST.
>> AND HEDGING WHAT BILLS TO PAY
FIRST IS HAPPENING TO MORE AND
MORE PEOPLE.
>> THE INCOME DISPARITY HAS JUST
GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE.
LOOK AT THE HOME BUYING MARKET.
IT HAS JUST SKYROCKETED IN
VALUE.
WHICH IS GREAT FOR PROPERTY TAX
VALUES, IT'S GREAT FOR
COMMUNITIES, IT'S GREAT FOR
HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE SUDDENLY ABLE
TO HAVE THIS EQUITY IN THEIR
HOME THAT MAYBE THEY DIDN'T HAVE
BEFORE, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER LOOKING TO
BUY OR LOOKING TO RENT, BECAUSE
RENTS GO UP TOO.
>> A RECENT SURVEY ESTIMATES
THAT NEARLY 78,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN
WISCONSIN ARE BEHIND IN RENT.
>> MOST PEOPLE ARE PAYING MORE
THAN 50% OF THEIR INCOME IN
HOUSING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO
ARE PAYING FAIR MARKET RENT,
6 TO 800 A MONTH, DEPENDING ON
THEIR FAMILY SIZE.
SOMETHING HAPPENS.
IT TAKES ONE TINY SLIP, AND THEY
GO OFF THE EDGE AND THEY CAN'T
MAKE THEIR RENT.
THEN THEY GET EVICTED.
>> GREEN BAY RESIDENT NORMA
TUCKER LIVED THIS WHEN SHE WAS
FORCED OUT OF HER HOME.
>> I COULDN'T AFFORD IT ANYMORE.
AND MY PAYMENTS STARTED OUT AT
600-PLUS, AND THEN WHEN I MOVED
OUT, IT WAS 849 FOR THE PAYMENT,
AND THAT WAS MORE THAN HALF OF
WHAT I MADE.
>> THE MORATORIUM WAS PUT IN
PLACE TO ADDRESS AN IMMEDIATE
HEALTH CRISIS BUT EVICTIONS HAVE
BEEN IMPACTING HEALTH LONG
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
>> TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH, YOU
NEED STABLE, RELIABLE SHELTER,
RIGHT?
FIRST AND FOREMOST.
BUT YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT OF
ESTABLISHED RESEARCH SHOWING AN
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EVICTIONS
AND A WHOLE HOST OF SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IN THE
WORST HEALTH OUTCOMES.
FOR CHILDREN ESPECIALLY, IT'S AN
INCREDIBLY DESTABILIZING
EXPERIENCE.
>> A GLIMMER OF SHORT TERM
STABILITY CAME WITH BILLIONS OF
FEDERAL DOLLARS IN EMERGENCY
RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
IN WISCONSIN, THE STATE HAS
PARTNERS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY
ACTION AGENCIES TO GET THAT
MONEY OUT.
THE RENTER APPLIES FOR
ASSISTANCE, AND THE CHECK GOES
STRAIGHT TO THE LANDLORD.
>> IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS
SUCCESSFUL, IT REALLY DOES
REQUIRE BUY-IN AND PARTICIPATION
FROM LANDLORDS, COMMUNITIES,
TENANTS, STATE, GOVERNMENT,
FEDERAL DOLLARS.
THERE'S A LOT OF PIECES TO
MAKING THIS WORK.
RIGHT NOW THE NEED IS TO MEET
PEOPLE'S EMERGENCY NEEDS AND GET
THEM STABILIZED WHILE WE FIGURE
OUT LONGER TERM SOLUTIONS TO OUR
HOUSING CRISIS.
>> NORMA NOW LIVES IN SUBSIDIZED
HOUSING, WHERE HER RENT IS
GUARANTEED TO BE A THIRD OF HER
INCOME, AND SHE'S ENJOYING HER
RETIREMENT THERE.
>> WE WORK PUZZLES, WE HAVE
DINNERS, AND IT'S JUST NICE.
>> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M
MARISA WOJCIK REPORTING FROM
GREEN BAY.
>> WISCONSIN OFFICIALS ARE
URGING RESIDENTS WHO ARE BEHIND
ON RENT BECAUSE OF COVID-RELATED
HARDSHIPS TO APPLY FOR THE
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN RENTAL