Westcap outlines housing, energy and food-assistance work in Polk County

At the Polk County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 17, Tim Mather, executive director of Westcap Community Action Agency, reviewed the agency’s services to Polk County and the surrounding region, including housing development, energy assistance and food programs.

Mather told supervisors that “we have an agency-wide budget of about $18,000,000 a year” and that Westcap receives roughly $400,000 annually from the federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), which he called “a very small part of our total funding” but an important flexible source. He said Westcap’s staff of about 85 serves a seven-county area from its office in Glenwood City and that Polk County has been a designated partner since 1968.

Westcap reported program-level results for Polk County in 2024: about 2,167 individuals received USDA-funded food-access services valued at about $253,000; 171 households received housing services with a reported value around $710,000; and 2,766 households received energy-assistance payments averaging about $325 per household (a cumulative total of roughly $900,000, paid directly to utilities). Mather said the agency weatherized 128 homes in Polk County and that a typical household meeting weatherization criteria saves about $500 per year in energy costs. He also said Westcap responded to 56 “first responses” for no-heat calls and placed services with contractors to address heating failures quickly.

On housing, Mather described Westcap’s role as a developer using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) administered through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). He said Westcap has developed LIHTC properties including a 24-unit project in Saint Croix Falls and an earlier 8-unit development in Clayton, and that the agency has placed roughly 200–250 affordable units into service in recent years. He described LIHTC as “complicated” and competitive and said awards often concentrate in more urban areas, which affects where projects ultimately locate.

Mather outlined workforce and education supports as well: Westcap reported serving 33 Polk County residents in skills and literacy programs in 2024, including a nursing-skills pathway that he said typically enrolls 10 to 15 people at a time. He offered one success example: a participant who moved from a $20-per-hour certified nursing assistant position to a registered nursing role earning about $78,000 a year after training the agency helped arrange.

Mather emphasized that funding streams vary by program and set different eligibility thresholds; for example, he said energy-assistance eligibility uses a 60% state median income threshold, while LIHTC units are designated at income limits (40%, 60%, 80% of area median income) depending on the project. He also noted Westcap’s three largest program areas are food access, energy assistance and housing assistance.

Board members asked questions about program details, enrollment capacity and funding sources; Mather said community development block grant (CDBG) housing funding is separate from CSBG and that Westcap does not participate in CDBG administration. He left printed information for board members and said he would stay after the meeting for follow-up questions.

Polk County did not take formal action on the presentation; the agency’s report was informational.