Eau Claire Tenant Landlord Resource Center

11/01/2026

Our Program Coordinator, Amanda Babb, and Board member and Director of the Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB), Mara Langreck, presented "Meet ALICE-Our Neighbor". Both stepped up when our Co-Director, Susan Wolfgram, was not able to attend. The engagement at the session was high and valuable networking took place.

Without stable shelter,
Everything else falls apart.
-Matthew Desmond

Our invited presentation:
Tuesday, October 27
Session 3 – 10:15a – 11:30a
Workshop Title – Meet “ALICE”, Our Neighbor

Workshop Description:
• Who is “ALICE”? ALICE is your neighbor-the folks waiting on you and cleaning up after you in the service industry–cooking for you and making your favorite latte, childcare providers, cashiers, farm workers, personal care aides, housekeepers, delivery drivers, and on and on. ALICE has to work multiple jobs, going without healthcare and childcare. ALICE often does not have reliable transportation but frequently needs to live in a neighboring town because rent is cheaper there but then the car breaks down and there’s no transit to get to work. In 2023, according to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), 11% of Wisconsin households were financially insecure. Yet this measure failed to account for an additional 24% of households that were also experiencing financial hardship. These households are ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — with income above the FPL, but not enough to afford basic expenses in the county where they live. Between ALICE households and those living in poverty, an estimated 35% of households in Wisconsin were below the ALICE Threshold in 2023 & nearly 40% in Eau Claire County. Households below the Threshold are forced to make impossible choices. You will meet folks living with “ALICE” housing insecurity, our neighbors. Their stories capture the systemic and structural barriers to financial stability. You will learn of local efforts to increase access to housing for this vulnerable demographic. Our core message is, “Without stable shelter, everything else falls apart” ~Mathew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City

~Mara shared her lived experience as a member of the ALICE community with her piece: WORKING MY WAY TO BROKE.

10/29/2026

Thank you so much Spirit Lutheran Foundation for awarding us $5000 to expand our eviction prevention and housing stability services. The demand is great and we are currently operating at our capacity. Most of our client contacts require multiple interventions, given their complexity, and there is no other similar tenant-landlord resource in Eau Claire or the region. Our plan is to hire a part-time Peer Support Tenant Mentor to increase the number of tenants and landlords we can serve.

The mission of the Eau Claire Tenant Landlord Resource Center (ECTLRC) is to advance housing justice by proactively working to prevent evictions and empower tenants and landlords to work together with a goal of housing stability and sustainability. The 2025 Eau Claire County Health Department Report found that 10.8% of county residents are living in poverty and 34% are either in poverty or qualify as United Way ALICE households (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed), households that are on a survival budget and are housing insecure, one crisis away from becoming homeless. It is in the best interest of our community that evictions are prevented and residents are able to sustain their housing. Affordable housing has consistently ranked as one of the top five health concerns of county residents.

We appreciate your support of our local
nonprofit organizations!

10/23/2026

Our Program Coordinator, Amanda Babb, and Mara Langreck, Lived Experience Advisory Board, are putting the finishing touches on our presentation at the Poverty Matters Conference in Steven's Point beginning on Tuesday.

Our invited presentation:
Tuesday, October 27
Session 3 – 10:15a – 11:30a
Frontier Room
Workshop Title – Meet “ALICE”, Our Neighbor

Workshop Description:
• Who is “ALICE”? ALICE is your neighbor-the folks waiting on you and cleaning up after you in the service industry–cooking for you and making your favorite latte, childcare providers, cashiers, farm workers, personal care aides, housekeepers, delivery drivers, and on and on. ALICE has to work multiple jobs, going without healthcare and childcare. ALICE often does not have reliable transportation but frequently needs to live in a neighboring town because rent is cheaper there but then the car breaks down and there’s no transit to get to work. In 2023, according to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), 11% of Wisconsin households were financially insecure. Yet this measure failed to account for an additional 24% of households that were also experiencing financial hardship. These households are ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — with income above the FPL, but not enough to afford basic expenses in the county where they live. Between ALICE households and those living in poverty, an estimated 35% of households in Wisconsin were below the ALICE Threshold in 2023 & nearly 40% in Eau Claire County. Households below the Threshold are forced to make impossible choices. You will meet folks living with “ALICE” housing insecurity, our neighbors. Their stories capture the systemic and structural barriers to financial stability. You will learn of local efforts to increase access to housing for this vulnerable demographic. Our core message is, “Without stable shelter, everything else falls apart” ~Mathew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City

~Mara will be sharing her lived experience as a member of the ALICE community with her piece: WORKING MY WAY TO BROKE.

You can still register:

2026 Poverty Matters Conference October 27 & 28, 2026Welcome to our 2026 Poverty Matters Conference that will be held in lovely Stevens Point, WI at the Holiday Inn Stevens Point – Convention Center! Register and Pay Via Credit Card Register and Pay via Invoice Day(s) : Hour(s) : Minute(s) : Secon...

10/14/2026

10/14/2026

We have shared the proposed Student Renter Bill of Rights with Student Senate Housing Coordinator, Alex Chirigos.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Today, David Crowley announced the Fair Deal for Wisconsin Renters to protect renters from greedy and unfair landlords and college students from unreasonable leasing situations. Crowley’s plan also includes a Student Renters Bill of Rights to prevent landlords in...

10/11/2026

Our Program Coordinator, Amanda Babb, shared tenant success strategies at Beacon House yesterday with families. It is a challenge to find housing for families who are struggling, some with significant barriers. That makes it critically important for families to know how to sustain their housing once they obtain it. We also work with families on "rehabilitating" their current rental resume to present to landlords.

One participant shared, "if we knew this stuff before, we wouldn’t have ended up at the shelter".

If your agency would like a class for current or potential renters, please fill out a Contact Form on the website and Amanda will contact you.

We look forward to our continued partnership with Beacon House.

10/10/2026

We look forward to partnering in this "Welcome Home" effort.

FREE is hosting a housing listening session for women Monday, October 12, at 5 pm at The Coven, 131 S Barstow Street, 2nd Floor, Eau Claire.

The session is for women who know firsthand how hard housing can be, whether because of a record, recovery, eviction, or starting over. We'll talk through the barriers they've faced, what has helped, and what needs to change. Their experiences will help shape FREE's housing advocacy in the Chippewa Valley. No experience or expertise is needed, just their story.

Would you be willing to personally invite two or three women you think would want to be part of this? A direct invitation from someone they trust makes all the difference. The flyer is attached.

10/08/2026

Amanda Babb, our Program Coordinator collaborated with Alex Chirigos, Student Senate Housing Coordinator, to provide a tenant workshop to students. We look forward to growing this program at UWEC.

Knowledge is power-we aim to empower students to have a successful tenant experience.
🏘🏘🏘

10/05/2026

STUDENTS! STOP BY TODAY OR TOMORROW!
Join Amanda Babb, our Program Coordinator, who can also provide support to you as needed outside of this introductory session.

Knowledge is power-empower yourself to have a successful tenant experience.
🏘🏘🏘