Moss House pursues grant for new facility

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Nevada Daily Mail

With the 25th anniversary of the Moss House approaching on July 1, Martha Sanders, executive director of the home for battered women and families, began preparations for the future by asking the Vernon County Commission to sponsor them in a Community Development Block Grant application.

Sanders and a representative from the Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission approached the commissioners Tuesday and welcomed the support the commissioners committed to the grant application.

The Moss House is planning to acquire some property and combine the current shelter and office building into one building.

"We've been talking about this for a while," Sanders said. "But Kaysinger is helping us make it happen, so we're excited."

A sponsor is necessary for the grant application and the commission would need to amend its budget to include that revenue and expenditure as well as complete paperwork and details between the entities.

The title will be given to the Moss House with their agreement to keep the property for at least five years, which Sanders said they are glad to do.

"We appreciate your support," Sanders said to the commissioners.

A public hearing will be held in the future concerning the grant and other responsibilities accomplished before submitting the application by the June 1, deadline.

Northern commissioner Neal Gerster said so far this year they have not had other entities ask the commission to sponsor their applications, although in the past they have done so for other groups such as water districts. But Gerster said they are glad to help the Moss House.

"It will be ADA accessible," Sanders said of the new building. "It will be modern, it will be one level, it will be efficient, it will reduce a lot of space that we're paying for running the two buildings."

Although the Victorian buildings they are using currently have served the shelter well, Sanders said they are not easily accessible for mothers with toddlers or for large numbers of residents.

"They weren't designed to hold 300 women and children a year," Sanders said.

Most residents of the Moss House stay up to about 45 days, Sanders said. On any given day, about 10 to 12 families will live in the shelter, and Sanders said they expect to remain at their capacity of 25 people during the summer.

Sanders said members of the department of economic development have already shown interest in the project.

"[We know] how important the Moss House has been to Vernon County," Gerster said. "So we try to find funding for it."

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