The UW Madison-Fond du Lac County Division of Extension -Human Development and Relationships area is responding with resources to aid individuals and families as they navigate circumstances affecting their lives resulting from the COVID 19 Pandemic. Below is a snapshot of resources that can be found within the UW Madison Division of Extension ‘s COVID19 Pandemic website link where a large collection of resources covering many Extension programming audiences. https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/covid19/ We encourage you to visit this website as information/resources are being added updated and added daily. Please consider “liking” the Fond du Lac County Extension Facebook page for additional updates as well as connect with us your questions. While circumstances are changing frequently, what remains stable is our commitment to offering you the research and resources of the UW-Madison Division of Extension. We are in this together.
The pandemic has left many Wisconsin households with less income or no paycheck at all. On March 27, 2020, Wisconsin issued Emergency Order #15 Temporary Ban on Evictions and Foreclosures. This order prevents landlords from starting eviction actions or serving any eviction notices for 60-days. This temporary moratorium only applies to evictions related to failure to pay rent. Evictions may still be served for other valid reasons not related to missed rent payments.
The 60-day freeze on evictions does not mean that tenants get two months of free rent. Each landlord or rental management company will determine how to handle this situation, keeping in mind that delayed rent payments will likely be added onto future rent payments. Households who still have money coming in can certainly continue to make on-time monthly rent payments. If you know you will not be able to pay your rent, it’s best to contact your landlord before you miss a payment so they know you are keeping track and aware of the situation. Check out the Extension publication on Dealing with a Drop-in Income for steps to take in prioritizing bills and contacting your landlord about a payment plan.
Emergency Order #15 Temporary Ban on Evictions and Foreclosures https://evers.wi.gov/Documents/COVID19/EO15BanonEvictionsandForeclosures.pdf
Dealing With a Drop in Income
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/toughtimes/files/2019/01/Drop-in-income-2020-state-version-new-logo.pdf
Financial Resources to Help Get Through COVID-19
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/toughtimes/covid-19-financial-resources/
Experiencing a Drop in Income related to the COVID-19 impact?
If you are experiencing financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, look over the links to government websites below to see what assistance might be available. We will be adding additional information as new policies and resources are put into place. fyi.extension.wisc.edu/toughtimes/covid-19-financial-resources/
Additionally, bookmark this Facebook page as well as the Fond du Lac County Division of Extension Website for additional resources for families and individuals to access for support during COVID-19 www.facebook.com/pg/uwexfdl and fonddulac.extension.wisc.edu.
Family caregivers face special challenges during this time of self-isolation. The person in your care needs you to be physically healthy and emotionally strong, which can feel overwhelming during a crisis. This link provides guidelines to help caregivers through the days ahead. Staying connected to friends and having access to information from qualified professionals in your community is the best way to maintain peace of mind. https://counties.extension.wisc.edu/sheboygan/files/2020/04/guidance-for-family-caregivers-3.26.20-3.pdf
The CARES Act Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program expands who could be eligible for unemployment, including self-employed individuals and those who quit their jobs due to safety concerns. DWD released a factsheet that has a great overview of who could be eligible for expanded unemployment benefits. However, the DWD website is not yet updated for newly-eligible individuals to apply. Check back on the DWD site for updates: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uiben/caresact/
Human Connections Promote Overall Wellness. Do you feel alone or disconnected while practicing social distancing? Let’s try to flip the script! Think about all the positive ways to connect with your loved ones. Here are some ways to get you started in building relationships and connections http://www.ncran.org/2020/03/18/maintaining-social-connections-during-social-distancing/
