Okanogan County Receives Two Community Development Grant Awards

Washington Department of Commerce has dispersed Community Development Block Grants amongst rural cities and counties in the state and Okanogan County was selected for two projects.

The county received almost $200,000 for the sewer connection to Oroville Harvest Shelter project with Oroville Housing Authority. This project focuses on connecting the sewer system to the homeless housing and farm worker housing that is provided by the Oroville Housing Authority. The total cost of that project is $300,500.

"Currently they are on a sewer septic system and they would like to be apart of the city of Oroville sewer system," said Lalena Johns, clerk of the board. "This money would help provide the sewer from the homeless and farm worker housing to the Oroville system."

The other project awarded grant funds to Okanogan County was the Housing Needs Assessment which is a non-construction grant. The total cost of this project is set at $60,000 and the grant funding awarded $24,000. Unlike the Oroville Harvest Shelter project which encompasses the Oroville Housing Authority with receiving the grant, the county itself is the sole grantee on this.

However, according to Johns, the county is working with the housing coalition of Okanogan County to help provide the language for the request from the consultants who will provide services for the assessment.

"The county has agreed to provide $31,000 match for that grant for the housing study," said Johns.