Opp applies for homeless shelter grant

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The City of Opp is applying for a grant designed to provide emergency shelter to the homeless, of which Opportunity House, Inc., would be the beneficiary.

The city council agreed Monday night to apply for the grant, for which Opportunity House is prepared to provide $50,000 in matching funds.

Opp Mayor H.D. Edgar said Opportunity House, which provides crisis services for victims of domestic abuse, must go through the city of Opp to apply for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds.

“The only emergency shelter we currently have is the rescue squad building that we use for hurricanes,” Edgar said.

The estimated cost of the proposed project is $100,000, but the mayor said Opportunity House has the $50,000 local matching share required for the grant.

The resolution was approved by the city council.

n other business, the council:

Made amendments to the mobile communication and Internet access policies;

passed a resolution dealing with administrative services for the Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) that will allow for the construction of new municipal sanitary sewer and water extensions in the East Industrial Park;

agreed to adopt an extension agreement between South Alabama Regional Airport and Wachovia Bank. The city of Opp is one of three guarantors on the loan, and had to agree to continue as a guarantor for the loan to be extended.