Mustard Seed shelter application moving to next stage

ORGANIZATION HOPES TO OPEN TEMPORARY FACILITY

City council formally put the Mustard Seed’s application to create a permanent supportive housing facility at the Ramada Inn to bed, and moved the organization’s application to open a new sober emergency shelter at 110 13th Avenue South forward to the next stage.

In a bit of final housekeeping city, council formally cancelled a scheduled public hearing on the issue during Tuesday’s meeting after the Mustard Seed withdrew its application to rezone the hotel.

The Mustard Seed confirmed to The Herald in January it had been rejected for federal Rapid Rehousing dollars to buy the Ramada here in the city, and convert it to long term supportive housing for low income individuals in the community; thus prompting its exit from the public hearing process-- a public hearing originally scheduled to be heard at this week’s regular city council meeting.

However, the organization still intends to open a temporary shelter for local homeless people preferring to live a sober lifestyle. City council voted 6-3 during Tuesday’s meeting to advance the Mustard Seed’s application to second reading and hold a public hearing on the application in the coming weeks.

The Mustard Seed has already finalized an agreement with the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen Society to provide nourishing meals at its new facility when it opens under the umbrella of the Christian charitable organization as Alpha House takes over the kitchen facilities at the Soup Kitchen’s current location.

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