Activity 5: Discussion about Challenging Situations that Impact the Ability to Rent

(Objective 4: Increase readiness and confidence in securing rental property.)

Instructors should contact the town, village, or city hall where the participants will be seeking rental unit so that they are capable of discussing local ordinances and how criminal convictions are handled.

Suggested Introduction: The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). The Fair Housing Act covers most housing. In some circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family housing sold or rented without the use of a broker, and housing operated by organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.

Communities can regulate how closely certain sexual offenders can live in proximity to schools, parks, and daycare centers. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections sex offender registry was established in June 1997 due to the enactment of Wisconsin Act 440-Wisconsin Statutes 301.45 and 301.46. This law requires registration of individuals who have been convicted of certain sexual offenses. By law, the registry generally contains information on those individuals who were convicted of, incarcerated, or on supervision for a sex offense on or after December 25, 1993. It is not a list of every person who has ever committed, been arrested for, or convicted of a sex offense. If a person has not been convicted of a qualifying offense, or if information has not been submitted about that person, information about that person may not be included in the registry. The information contained in the registry will not reflect the entire criminal history of a particular individual.