Menomonie – On Monday, February 2, Menomonie City Council will hold a public hearing on a new proposed renter protections ordinance, Menomonie SHIELD (Safe Housing, Inspections, Enforcement and Landlord Development). This ordinance would initiate a proactive rental inspections program to improve the quality and safety of rental homes around the city.
If passed, SHIELD’s rental inspection program would initially focus on a small area south of the university and hold property owners accountable to a minimum standard of health and safety, while offering time and opportunity to make repairs.
This ordinance was originally proposed by members of GROWW (GrassRoots Organizing in Western Wisconsin). In the summer of 2024, GROWW launched a campaign to study housing in Menomonie where they engaged 250 members of the community through a mix of door knocking, listening sessions, digital outreach, and one-to-one meetings.
Two thirds of residents in Menomonie are renters. In a Community Housing Report renters shared that some landlords had been unresponsive to maintenance requests or that they avoid requesting or reporting important issues out of fear of retaliation.
Prior to a change in state legislation in 2017, every rental in Menomonie was inspected yearly. However, in the past five years, the city has only inspected five percent of the rental properties in city limits.
The public hearing for the SHIELD ordinance will be held Monday, February 2, at 7:00 pm in the City Council Chambers, 800 Wilson Ave.
Reba Krueger may be reached at [email protected]