KENNEWICK — Benton County commissioners have agreed to dole out $360,000 in affordable housing funds to help several Tri-City organizations continue sheltering people in need.
Ed Thornbrugh, director of the Benton Franklin Department of Human Services, recommended money for five programs, noting there were not enough applications to exhaust the available $500,000.
The largest request was for $151,000 from the Kennewick Housing Authority, which will use the money to match a $3.5 million grant application with the Washington Housing Trust Fund. The authority wants to use the money to build 12 two-bedroom units and 4 one-bedroom units for permanent housing for homeless individuals and families.
Domestic Violence Services will receive the $84,000 to operate and rehabilitate a residential emergency shelter for domestic violence victims and their children. The shelter is a seven-room house houses an average of 18 clients.
The Benton Franklin Department of Human Services' Transitional Living Program will receive $47,000 for operations and maintenance of mobile homes that provide up to six months housing for low-income people with mental health diagnoses.
The money will be used to offset state budget cuts. The program costs typically exceed $200,000 yearly.
The other two grants are $33,000 to the Housing Authority of Pasco and Franklin County to rehabilitate the Cullum House in Richland and $30,000 for the Columbia Basin Veterans Coalition to set up a single-family home with six beds as transitional housing for homeless veterans who are low-income and have other issues or post traumatic stress disorder.
Also Monday, commissioners heard a presentation on the 2,000-acre Barker Ranch in West Richland.
Michael Crowder, ranch manager, said major improvements in managing water and wetlands have been done, with the goal of restoring the wetlands about half completed.
Crowder said the ranch owners, who operate it primarily as a hunting and conservation preserve, would like to see Barker Ranch included in the county's long-term conservation plan.
-- John Trumbo: 509-582-1529; jtrumbo@tricityherald.com
