MENOMONIE — On Wednesday, July 1, community leaders, GROWW members, Menomonie City Council President Cody Gentz, and Menomonie Mayor Matthew Crowe will gather to celebrate the SHIELD (Safe Housing, Inspections, Enforcement, and Landlord Development) ordinance officially taking effect in Menomonie.
Passed by the Menomonie City Council in February, 2026 by a 9-1 vote after months of community organizing, SHIELD restores local authority to proactively inspect rental properties and strengthens protections designed to ensure more residents have access to safe and healthy housing.
The event will highlight the grassroots effort that led to the ordinance’s passage and the hundreds of renters, homeowners, students, landlords, and community members who helped win the victory.
Organizers say the implementation of SHIELD demonstrates what is possible when neighbors come together to solve problems and build power around issues that directly affect their lives.
The event will also connect the local victory to broader efforts to expand access to safe, healthy housing across Wisconsin.
WHAT: Community Celebration and Press Event Marking SHIELD Taking Effect
WHEN: Wednesday, July 1, 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Outside the Leisure Services Center, 1412 6th Street East, Menomonie
WHO: Community leaders, members of GROWW (Grassroots Organization for Western Wisconsin) and impacted residents
BACKGROUND
What began in 2024 as conversations with neighbors about housing conditions grew into a citywide effort to improve housing health and safety in Menomonie. Over the following year, residents organized meetings, collected stories, testified before elected officials, and built broad support for change.
In February 2026, more than 70 residents packed Menomonie City Council chambers and overflowed into the hallway as the SHIELD ordinance passed 9-1.
On July 1, those protections officially take effect.
For more information: [email protected], GRO-WW.org, on Instagram at @GrowWisconsin, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/GROWWisconsin
Source: News release
