Dane Co. Tenant Resource Center increases number of bilingual employees

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (WMTV) -Understanding and navigating your rights as a tenant can be challenging, especially if you don’t speak the language.

The Tenant Resource Center (TRC) in Madison increased the number of bilingual staff to help residents in Dane County do just that.

Justicia de vivenda para todos. Housing justice for all is a goal for the TRC, but many residents do not know their rights or resources available.

“They will help you and have helped us a lot,” Adriana Ruiz, a Sun Prairie resident, said. “They will let you know what your rights are. As an immigrant, we do not know if the laws apply to us the way they apply to citizens.”

That’s a misconception TRC Development and Communications Manager Amy Stuhlman wants to correct. Stuhlman says it’s difficult to learn your rental rights in English, let alone in Spanish.

“There are so many nuances to tenants’ rights law that it is really important that we have staff who are native bilingual Spanish speakers,” Stuhlman said.

The TRC has recently expanded its bilingual services to Sun Prairie, services Adriana Ruiz used when her apartment flooded.

“It was like total chaos,” Ruiz said. “My bathroom, the hall, the kitchen--there was water everywhere.”

Ruiz moved to the United States with her husband on his work visa. She was recommended by a friend to get help from Sunshine Place, another branch of the Tenant Resource Center. To her surprise, she was assisted by a bilingual Spanish speaker.

“A language is a barrier,” Ruiz said. “Like for me, I speak both languages, but I know friends that can communicate better in Spanish.”

For the past year, the TRC has focused on hiring more people who can speak English and Spanish, and now bilingual employees make up 30% of their employees.

“We have staff not only here but also Sunshine Place in Sun Prairie,” Stuhlman said.

Ruiz feels supported by her community in Sun Prairie. The center is a safe haven for native speakers in the area.

“It’s very comfortable and welcoming and that is what we really wanted,” Stuhlman said.

The Tenant Resource Center recently moved to Winnebago Street. A new amenity they are providing is a space for tenants to attend virtual eviction court hearings. There are also more private offices for tenants to meet with staff members.

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