Rights for Renters

Maniaci is accessible, disarming, and thoughtful. She’s become a key coalition builder on the council with strong advocacy for parks, bicyclists and tenants.”

– Wisconsin State Journal aldermanic endorsement (3/27/11)

• Strengthen tenant protections & rollback multiple bills of Walker-era anti-tenant legislation that stripped decades of tenant protections from Wisconsin communities
• Establishing uniform state-wide Chronic Nuisance framework legislation against slumlords
• Increase funding for affordable housing construction for renters and increase assistance for first time homebuyers making the transition from renting
• Fight for rent control legislation, limiting rent increases to no more than 5% annually and giving tenants lease renewal rights
• Create a statewide right to eviction legal services for tenants in need
• Create incentives against out of state and large commercial property holding companies from buying up housing stock
• Create a statewide framework limiting unregulated short-term rentals
• Strengthen funding and laws for building inspection efforts
• Improve regulatory, zoning and financing barriers to Missing Middle Housing options, especially owner-occupied housing to improve access to quality, affordable housing for every neighborhood and community
• Formally repeal under state law housing covenants that discriminate based on race
• Quality Affordable Housing in every neighborhood & ideally in every project: Incentive statewide frameworks to include 30% & 50% AMI housing in market-rate development through expanding affordable housing trust fund resources

During her four years as Alderperson, Bridget Maniaci championed tenants rights in legislation and budgetary efforts, and was a national leader on legislative tenant efforts. Some of those accomplishments include:

• Creating the legislative framework to comprehensively regulate Airbnbs in 2013 (Isthmus)
• Creating a first of its kind ordinance to ensure tenants received voter registration materials upon move in.
  • This legislation was used as model legislation for other cities including Minneapolis, East Lansing, MI and Seattle.
• Sucessfully supporting funding for increased building inspection efforts
• Requiring landlords to be registered with the city, and provide two direct contacts posted to tenants
• Sponsored and passed legislation requiring landlords to provide tenants with more specific information as to when they will be entering a tenant’s leased premise to show the property for sale or lease.
• Hosting tenant open houses with City of Madison staff from building inspection, fire inspection, the city attorney’s office, and the police department so tenants could directly show city staff problematic and nuisance landlord inaction for health and safety issues.
• Fighting property managers to extend tenants’ rights against pressure to re-sign leases months in advance.
• Approval of Wisconsin’s first Energy Star certified Green Built multifamily housing (one of only 17 in the nation!) that is also dedicated affordable housing.
• Creation of a Small-Cap TIF program that provided funds to rehabilitate run down rental housing from large landlords to small locally, owned owner-occupants, creating quality apartment units in the process.
• Creating a Residential Exterior Lighting Enhancement Grant Program to create safer conditions for tenants