Portage County Community Land Trust

Beginning in 2023, CAP Services, the City of Stevens Point, UW Extension – Portage County , and other local partners came together to form a new nonprofit, the Portage County Community Land Trust (CLT). The Portage County CLT will be a standalone nonprofit organization, under the direction of a board of directors.

Mission: Our mission is to create and maintain a stable supply of permanently affordable, owner-occupied, housing in the Portage County area by leveraging sustainable investment models and mechanisms. In doing so, we aim to provide homeownership and related wealth-building opportunities to income-limited and underserved members of our community.

What are CLTs?

1. CLT Overview video
2. Check out Grounded Solutions Network’s page on CLTs for more information!

How can you get involved?

1. Volunteer as a board or workgroup member – contact one of our board members for more information!
2. Donate: https://tinyurl.com/PCCommunityLandTrust

Current Board members:

• Katie Livernash – President
  • UW Madison Division of Extension – Portage County, Community Development Educator
  • livernash@wisc.edu
• Vice-President – VACANT
• Connie Tomski-Faville – Treasurer
  • CAP Services, Director of Housing Stability
  • ctomski-faville@capmail.org
• Ashley Netzer – Secretary
  • Home Point Realty, Owner/Broker; Habitat for Humanity
  • ashleynetzer@homepointwi.com
• Gregg Hansel – Board Member
  • Community Member
  • ghansel7@gmail.com
• Matt Rice – Board Member
  • Community Member
  • mike.rice@gmail.com

Board members represent their organizations and/or are interested community members. Partners on this effort have included:

Our Story

• Portage County CLT Informational presentation
• Per the Grounded Solutions Network, “In community land trusts, a nonprofit corporation owns the land and provides a long-term lease to the resident, who owns the structure.”
• In their 2022 Community Needs Assessment, CAP Services identified community land trusts as a model to explore to create more permanent affordable housing in the area. CAP is a 501c3 community action agency focused on antipoverty work. CAP also operates a CDFI, Community Assets for People.
• The City of Stevens Point Housing Task Force also identified community land trusts as a model to explore.
• In 2023, the City of Stevens Point Redevelopment Authority provided $12,000 to work with a CLT consultant to provide technical assistance. A CLT workgroup was formed, and they worked with the consultant from Fall 2023-Spring 2024 to understand and develop items such as: bylaws, resale formula, ground lease, budget template and start-up budget, and other start-up research.
• In June 2024, the workgroup transitioned to a “Founding Board” for the Portage County CLT.