In this Advisory Council Spotlight we introduce Todd Mandel, community development director at Couleecap. Couleecap fights poverty and promotes self-sufficiency, economic development, and social justice on behalf of low-income individuals and families in Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe, and Vernon counties in Wisconsin.

You have said that how a community looks at housing can say a lot about its values and character. What do you mean by that?

Having a safe, decent, quality place to live is a fundamental human right. Housing shouldn't be the "carrot" we use to reward people for doing certain things or behaving in a specific way. It should be something that everyone has, period. What a community does to get to that point, I believe, says a lot about that community's character. Does it come together to help and protect those with the least means, or does the community leave those without to fend for themselves? There are enough resources, wealth, and capital to house everyone. So then it simply comes down to priorities and willpower.

Couleecap operates a community land trust (CLT) program in which income-eligible homebuyers are required to participate in a shared-appreciation agreement as a condition of homeownership. How has it been received in your service area?

Community land trusts are a complex solution to a complex challenge. I lead with that because the reception of the CLT model is a function of its complexity. When the fundamentals are explained—that CLTs are a "pay it forward" solution—people understand it and get very excited about it.

The CLT model ensures the housing is permanently affordable; this is accomplished through the sharing of the appreciation in the value of the land and housing. When someone purchases a home through a CLT, they make a “leasehold” purchase—meaning improvements to the land are purchased (for example, house, garage, etc.), but not the land itself. The ownership of the land remains with the CLT thereby guaranteeing affordability for future generations. We have found that more progressive communities embrace this idea of a social contract with homeowners.

As a community action program, Couleecap delivers a variety of services, from homelessness prevention and homebuyer counseling to business development and emergency food assistance. How do you achieve interconnectivity within your programming?

Any large human services organization faces the challenge of interconnectivity, and Couleecap is no different. It is great being a Community Action Agency, and being able to pull from our rich history and grassroots support to facilitate change at the local level; however, our wide-ranging missions mean we must constantly work on integrating our resources and focusing on holistic service for our clients.

Ultimately the interconnectivity comes down to people and leadership. I have found that people want to work together to do the most good they can. When leadership facilitates that connection and provides the resources and authority to execute the work without getting in the way, that is when great things happen. Our interconnectivity comes from having great people who want to do good work every day, and they do just that.