This document summarizes a kickoff meeting for a Housing & Education Community Action Committee (H&E CAC). It included introductions, an overview of economic mobility and the relationship between housing and education, and a detailed presentation on Racine's new Rent Safe Initiative ordinances. Meeting participants then broke into small groups to discuss and ask questions about implementing the new ordinances before discussing next steps to form the H&E CAC, including defining its mission, selecting members, and establishing roles and operations. The goal is to ensure community input helps the ordinances improve access to quality, stable affordable housing and better educational outcomes.

1. Housing & Ed
Community
Action
Committee
Kickoff Meeting

2. 2
Welcome & Overview

3. 3
Welcome & Overview
Meeting Agenda
Getting to know each other
What is Economic Mobility?
Rent Safe Initiative Overview & Questions
What’s next for this group?

4. 4
Group Agreements
Step up, Step Back
Listen for understanding
Be present
Welcome & Overview

5. 5
Introductions &
Icebreaker

6. 6
Partner Up
In pairs, take 6 minutes (~ 3 min each) to
introduce yourselves. Use the following
questions to guide your conversation with your
partner:
1) Name
2) Choose ONE of the following questions to
ask your partner:
• What was your favorite album when you
were 15 years old?
• If you had one extra hour in the day, what
would you do with it?
• What is the best meal you’ve ever had?
3) Share a story from your life that revealed
a connection between housing and
education
Introductions & Icebreaker
Present Out
After pair introductions, you’ll have 1
minute to introduce your partner to the
full group.
Use their responses to the questions as
a guide, summarizing the highlights.

7. 7
ECONOMIC MOBILITY
KEY PRINCIPALS

8. 8
GUIDING
FRAMEWORK
ECONOMIC MOBILITY
FROM POVERTY
• Economic success
What are the factors that directly contribute
to families’ material well-being?
• Being valued in community
Does a person have a sense they belong and
are included among family, friends, neighbors,
other communities, and society?
• Power & autonomy
What is a person’s ability to influence their
environment and outcomes?
What is their ability to act according to their own
decisions rather than others?
BACKGROUND:
Graphic source: US Partnership on Mobility from Poverty

9. 9
HOUSING & EDUCATION’S IMPACT ON
STUDENTS & FAMILIES
Home and school are two of the most important communities for
children.
• They provide foundations for future success that support many aspects of
mobility to advance economically. Both housing & education influence a child’s
environment and can either support or weaken their sense of safety, stability, and
bonding.
• An individual’s housing stability during childhood directly affects their education
experiences and future economic wellbeing as an adult.
• In contrast, traumatic events—such as growing up in a household experiencing
housing instability—places a heavy burden on children, their families, and
communities. We do not experience trauma in isolation and healing is achieved in
relationships and community.
HOUSING X EDUCATION: BACKGROUND

10. 10
RACINE RENTS INITIATIVE
OVERVIEW OF ORDINANCES

11. 11
RACINE RENTS
INITIATIVE
IMPLEMENTATION
WHY IT MATTERS
SAFE, HEALTHY HOUSING FOR ALL
RACINE RESIDENTS
• Safe rental housing for Racine residents
• Maintain existing rental housing stock
• Begin to stabilize property values for good landlords
• Holding absentee and negligent landlords
accountable
The RENTS Initiative will improve housing throughout
the City of Racine, provide additional protections to
renters, accountability for property owners who do not
maintain their properties, and connect property owners
with resources to assist with property improvements.
The RENTS ordinances was approved by the Racine
Common Council and signed into law as part of the
2020 City Budget in November 2019. Read the
complete RENTS Ordinances.
Rental Empowerment and
Neighborhood Tenant
Services (RENTS) Initiative
Package of housing reforms to address
poor housing conditions that impacts
tenants, lowers property values, and
diminishes quality of life for all residents.
Six (6) parts to the RENTS Initiative will
help to ensure that all residents in the City
of Racine have safe and well-maintained
housing options.
RENTS ORDINANCE:
HIGHLIGHTS
Source: https://racine-rents-cori.hub.arcgis.com/

12. 12
LANDLORDS &
COMMERCIAL OWNERS
“Register My Property”
Property registry for all residential
rental and commercial properties
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Allows the City to know who owns and
manages properties and how to contact
them in case of emergencies or property
related problems.
Property owners will incur fines if they fail
to register their property. Owner occupied
properties or one- or two-family residential
properties are exempt from registering
their property.
RENTS ORDINANCE:
COMPONENT ONE
Source: https://racine-rents-cori.hub.arcgis.com/

13. 13
RENTERS & TENANTS
“Protect Myself Against
Retaliation”
Protections against landlord
retaliation aim to help tenants feel safe
about reporting code violations and
nuisance activities.
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Landlords cannot evict, threaten, or take
other harmful actions against tenants who
have reported code or nuisance violations.
In the event retaliation does occur, the city
can intervene and issue citations and fines
up to $2,000 for each act of retaliation.
RENTS ORDINANCE:
COMPONENT TWO
Source: https://racine-rents-cori.hub.arcgis.com/

14. 14
RENTERS & TENANTS
“Learn About Escrow Deposit
Program”
Tenants whose landlords have not
addressed habitability code violations
can escrow (i.e., “pay their rent”) to
the City instead of to their landlord.
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Landlords cannot evict, threaten, or take
other harmful actions against tenants who
have reported code or nuisance violations.
In the event retaliation does occur, the city
can intervene and issue citations and fines
up to $2,000 for each act of retaliation.
RENTS ORDINANCE:
COMPONENT THREE
Source: https://racine-rents-cori.hub.arcgis.com/

15. 15
COMMUNITY WIDE
“Proactive Rental
Inspections”
The City will conduct scheduled,
systematic inspections of rental units
within the Neighborhood
Enhancement and Stabilization District
(NESD).
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Large share of code complaints are in
residential dwelling areas, posing a
risk to public health and safety.
Identify and address habitability violations
to make sure rental units in the district are
safe and healthy places to live.
RENTS ORDINANCE:
COMPONENT FOUR
Source: https://racine-rents-cori.hub.arcgis.com/

16. 16
COMMUNITY WIDE
“Chronic Nuisance Properties”
The City will conduct scheduled,
systematic inspections of rental units
within the Neighborhood
Enhancement and Stabilization District
(NESD).
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Large share of code complaints are in
residential dwelling areas, posing a
risk to public health and safety.
Identify and address habitability
violations to make sure rental units in
the district are safe and healthy
places to live.
RENTS ORDINANCE:
COMPONENT FIVE
Source: https://racine-rents-cori.hub.arcgis.com/

17. 17
COMMUNITY WIDE
“Bank Registration of
Properties Facing Mortgage
Foreclosure”
Banks must register, inspect, and
maintain all properties in the City that
are facing mortgage foreclosure.
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Help residents avoid foreclosure, if
possible, and ensure that banks take
responsibility for inspecting and
maintaining foreclosed and
abandoned properties.
RENTS ORDINANCE:
COMPONENT SIX
Source: https://racine-rents-cori.hub.arcgis.com/

18. 18
Building Department
730 Washington Avenue, #304,
Racine WI, 53403
Main Number: (262) 636-9464
Email Addresses
DivisionsofCityDevelopment@cityofracine.org
Permits
Ralph.Nichols@cityofracine.org
Commercial and Residential Building
Inspector
Daniel.Kirchenberg@cityofracine.org
Commercial and Residential Building
Inspector
Jacob.Lipke@cityofracine.org
Residential Building Inspector
CITY OF RACINE:
CONTACT INFORMATION

19. 19
SMALL GROUP
BREAKOUTS
Reflect, digest, surface questions on RENTS

20. 20
ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
REFLECTION: RENTS ORDINANCES SUMMARY
10-MINUTES IN SMALL GROUP BREAKOUTS
Use prompts designed to support reflection and develop list of questions on RENTS
5-MINUTE LARGE-GROUP REFLECTION
Share out from small group breakouts
PURPOSE
Reflect, digest, and surface questions on RENTS
INSERT CAC VERSION OF LIVING DOCUMENT
FORMAT

21. 21
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
REFLECTION: RENTS ORDINANCES SUMMARY
• Considering recent changes to code enforcement and creation of new and expanded policies, programs,
and services through RENTS, what changes sound most helpful to renters looking for housing that is
affordable and in good condition?
• What additional information would be helpful to residents who are currently renting?
• One year from today, what would success in implementing RENTS look like?
• What items were not clear and need further clarification and discussion?

22. 22
Next Steps

23. 23
Next Steps
H&E CAC Formation
• Mission and Goals: What is the purpose of the H&E CAC exist and what do we want to
accomplish? What values and principles should guide our group’s work?
• Members: Who should be on the H&E CAC? How will they be recruited and selected? What
expectations are there for duration of commitment/term limits?
• Roles and Responsibilities: What are the expected roles and responsibilities of CAC
members?
• Operations: How will we make decisions? How will we resolve disagreements? How
frequently will we meet? How will we communicate between meetings? How will our meetings
be facilitated? What will the ground rules be? How can our values be operationalized in our
work? What resources will be required?

24. 24
Next Steps
H&E CAC Formation
• Mission and Goals
• Members
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Operations
What we already know…
The initial purpose of this group is to bring community
members together who have a stake in the educational
outcomes of children to makes sure the RENTS Initiative
actually makes quality, stable, and affordable rental homes
more accessible for families with children in Racine. In this
group you’ll also:
• Learn more about how quality, stable, affordable housing
affects and can improve educational outcomes for our
children.
• Share with others your own knowledge, skills, and networks
for making positive change in your community.
• Deepen your networks and skills in community organizing
and advocacy as the City implements the RENTS Initiative
and ordinance.

25. 25
Next Steps
H&E CAC Formation
• Mission and Goals
• Members
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Operations
What we heard from you…
• Make sure RENTS Ordinance and similar
programs are consistently informed by
community voices and needs
• Be better informed about how to handle
landlord and rental housing issues—both for
ourselves and to help our community with
these issues
• Learn more about housing and education
issues in Racine
• Connect with other community members

26. 26
Next Steps
H&E CAC Formation
• Mission and Goals
• Members
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Operations
What we already know…
We expect H&E CAC members to commit 2-4 hours per
month, which would include the time of the monthly meeting
plus some activity outside of the monthly meeting, for
example, to review and provide feedback on group
documents, to recruit other members, etc.

27. 27
Next Steps
H&E CAC Formation
• Mission and Goals
• Members
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Operations
What we already know…
We anticipate that the H&E CAC will meet once a month,
with the exact timing to be determined by the initial members
of the group.

28. 28
Next Steps
Share & Build Knowledge,
Skills, and Networks

29. 29
Next Steps
Connecting Between
Meetings
Text
Email
higherexpectationsracinecounty.org/cac

30. 30
Final Reflections & Closing

31. 32
Final Reflections & Closing
Final Reflections
In just one word…

32. 33
Final Reflections & Closing
Goodnight
and THANK YOU!