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Housing Help Desk

This information is also available as a PDF for easy printing.

Tenant Resource Center operates the Housing Help Desk located in Room 2 at the Dane County Job Center.

Phone: (608) 242-7406 Fax: (608) 242-7490
Walk-In: 1819 Aberg Avenue, Room 2
Hours: 10am -2pm, Monday - Friday

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At the Housing Help Desk, tenants, landlords and service providers can find information, applications and referrals to help people find and maintain quality, affordable housing. For information and services, contact the Housing Help Desk at (608) 242-7406, or stop in during business hours.

The Dane County Job Center is a one stop location for county services including employment search, transportation, Emergency Assistance grants, food stamps and medical assistance. For more information on these programs, please contact Dane County Human Services at (608) 242-7441.

Finding Help

The Housing Help Desk maintains information on community resources that may be available to provide eviction prevention funds, security deposit funds, and other emergency financial assistance. See our brochure titled Eviction Prevention and Security Deposit Assistance in Dane County (en español), in pdf format. Help Desk staff can also help clients fill out applications for subsidized housing and can sometimes find assistance or answers to difficult questions by consulting with other service providers in the community. Help Desk clients may be interested in a referral to one of the many agencies, faith groups, community groups, nonprofit groups and individuals that provide assistance to those in crisis. Many of these local services can also be found through United Way's First Call for Help, 2-1-1.

Housing Vacancy List

Click here for a full copy of the current housing vacancy list, in pdf format, including all listings from "Room" through five or more bedrooms.

Don't need the whole thing? Click on the links below for partial lists:

Rooms through one-bedroom units

Two-bedroom units

Three-bedroom and larger units, including houses

As a free service, the Help Desk provides a list of housing vacancies in Dane County. The Housing Vacancy List is organized according to size, rent amount, and location, allowing tenants to contact the owners, management companies and sublettors who have immediate openings. The list is updated weekly on Wednesday afternoons. Agencies interested in having the Housing Vacancy List faxed or e-mailed to them each week should contact us or call (608) 257-0143.

Click here to download and print a form to submit your own rental vacancy to the Housing Vacancy List.

Resource Lists

The HHD maintains the following lists for Dane County. Feel free to print and distribute these lists and call or come by for applications.

• Subsidized and Public Housing
• Section 42 and Other Affordable Housing Projects
• Flexible Landlord List
• Community Resource Guide / 2-1-1
• Shelter & Transitional Housing for Single Women
• Shelter & Transitional Housing for Single Men
• Shelter & Transitional Housing for Families
• Motels that May be Less Expensive

Housing Connections

In order to help connect people to housing resources, the Help Desk provides information, referrals, and applications for housing including:

• low-cost housing
• public housing (city and county)
• subsidized housing for low-income families, elderly, and people with disabilities
• emergency shelter for families as well as single men and single women
• transitional housing for people with mental health and/or AODA treatment needs
• housing with a case management component

Rental Rights & Responsibilities

TRC's Housing Help Desk counselors are available by phone or walk-in to answer questions about rental rights and responsibilities. Appointments are not necessary. Counselors can provide copies of housing laws and regulations, both locally and statewide. We can also help with rental problems by providing practical advice and sample letters and by making referrals to helpful agencies and organizations. The Help Desk is a good resource for questions about housing issues including:

• eviction process
• security deposits
• repairs
• discrimination
• breaking leases
• landlord entry
• lease rules
• earnest money and application fees
• disclosure of hazardous conditions
• rent abatement
• constructive eviction
• non-renewal
• landlord retaliation
• subletting
• lease amendments
• and more!

For more information, see the informaton under the rental question tab above.

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