Posted on March 17, 2020

Following guidance from the Public Health Madison and Dane County, and until further notice, the Madison Community Development Authority is implementing the following temporary, interim measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

Temporary Measures

Office Closures:  The CDA property management and central offices are temporarily closed to the public. This includes the Madison Municipal Building. While our offices are closed, the CDA will continue to provide essential services to our community. Our top priority is housing families safely, in compliance with public health guidance. All routine face-to-face visits and appointments, routine annual inspections, and other non-essential functions will be postponed until conditions allow these activities to resume. We also have alternative ways for you to continue doing business with us:

• CDA Staff are available to assist you by phone, email and by mail Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. You can find contact information for our various key contacts and departments by clicking here.
• The Madison Municipal Building (215 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.) is Closed. Therefore, we encourage you to call or email us.
• We can accept documents through the drop-box at our Central Office (215 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.)
• You can also speak to staff on the phone and set up phone appointments. Click on Staff Directory or call the office number listed below.

Please contact a CDA Office at:

Public Housing

Maintenance:  Non-urgent, non-emergency work orders will be postponed. The CDA is prioritizing work orders to limit physical contact for non-emergency work order requests. A CDA maintenance staff person may call a resident in response to a work order request to troubleshoot the request via phone. Please continue to call (608) 245-5797 for CDA property maintenance requests.

Community Space:  Computer labs, resident libraries, and community rooms at all CDA properties are closed until further notice.

Sanitation:  CDA Staff have been instructed on additional personal sanitation practices to ensure they are not transferring viruses to themselves or to others. CDA Staff are cleaning common areas of CDA buildings including disinfecting door handles, elevator buttons, and other frequently touched surfaces daily.

Rent Payments and Income Changes:  If you experience a decrease in income that may affect your ability to pay rent, please contact your Property Manager via phone or email as soon as possible. We strongly encourage you to pay your rent online, by mail, or by phone during this time. Click here for information on how to pay your rent.

HUD Waivers:   The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allowed the CDA to apply statutory waivers, as a way to continue operating and providing critical housing services to Public Housing residents outside of the normal statutory and regulatory requirements set by Congress. Click here for a list of waivers the CDA is utilizing effective 4/10/2020. 

Section 8

Inspections:  All bi-annual inspections are postponed until further notice. Initial move-in inspections will be conducted as scheduled for unoccupied units only. The CDA will postpone intitial inspections for occupied units and will instead obtain owner certification that no life threatening deficiences are present at move in.

Income Changes and Rent:  If you experience a decrease in income that may affect your ability to pay rent, please contact your Section 8 Caseworker via phone or email as soon as possible, and continue to pay your rent directly to your landlord.

HUD Waivers:   The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allowed the CDA to apply statutory waivers, as a way to continue operating and providing critical housing services to Section 8 program participants outside of the normal statutory and regulatory requirements set by Congress. Click here for a list of waivers the CDA is utilizing effective 4/10/2020.

Dane County Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Dane CORE provides emergency rental assistance for those who are behind on rent, reside in Dane County, are at or below 50% of area median income, and have experienced economic hardship due to COVID-19. Assistance is subject to availability and eligibility. Length of assistance may vary and is based on available funds. For more information on Dane CORE, click here

Eviction Moratorium and Prevention

If you have concerns regarding rent, and eviction for nonpayment of rent, during the coronavirus pandemic, please click here .

The federal CARES Act eviction moratorium has been extended to March 31, 2021. For more information on the eviction moratorium, please click here.

HUD has provided information and resources for tenants during COVID-19: Tenant Brochure

If you are a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) landlord, please click here   for information on how to avoid eviction of HCV participants.

What You Can Do To Stay Healthy and Slow the Spread of the Virus

Follow Guidelines from Health Department:  We encourage everyone to follow the guidelines published by the health department, including many common sense strategies such as frequent hand washing, cover your sneezes and coughs with a tissue or your elbow, cleaning "high touch" surfaces, and social distancing measures like avoiding being in close proximity to other people and shaking hands. If at all possible, stay home, cancel events and avoid groups, gatherings, playdates, and nonessential appointments.

CDA Employees who are sick have been instructed to not come to work. We will continue to follow guidance from the City of Madison for our employees.

Resource Information: 

City of Madison resident focused COVID19 website

COVID19 Fact Sheet

Sick with COVID19 Fact Sheet

Stop the Spread of Germs

Stop Germs! Wash Your Hands Fact Sheet

UW Health Hotline:  608-720-5300

Important information and resources about paying rent during the national emergency concerning the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Help for Renters

MMSD Free Meals to Anyone Under 18

Tenant Flyer on the Eviction Moratorium

Tenant Flyer on the Eviction Moratorium - Other Languages

Free or Low-Cost Internet Services

Public Health of Madison & Dane County: 608-243-0587 or coronavirus@publichealthmdc.com

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

As the largest provider of affordable housing in the City of Madison, serving a large percentage of populations at high risk for COVID-19 (including elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and persons with underlying health conditions), we take our obligation of service to our community, our employees, and partners seriously. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we thank you for your patience during this time.