Grant aimed at housing youth

The Eastern Plains Council of Governments has scored a grant for more than $700,000 to help overcome youth homelessness in Curry, Roosevelt, DeBaca and Quay counties.

EPCOR Executive Director Sandy Chancey shared the news with those in attendance at EPCOG's annual board meeting Wednesday at the agency's office in Clovis.

The Youth Homelessness Demo Grant has EPCOG partnering with the United Way of Eastern New Mexico in the program that targets those age 18 to 25 who have been in foster care.

Chancey said many of those who "age out" of foster care have nowhere to go.

The program involves housing them until permanent housing may be found and teaching those in the program life skills.

Chancey said the goal is to have services available in December.

Among other business matters, board members:

• Heard a presentation from New Mexico Department of Finance and Adminstration's Haillie Brown on three bureaus created within that agency to help local governments access funds.

The bureaus are Capital Planning, Capital Navigation & Funding and the Federal Grants Bureau.

• Heard from EPCOG Government Specialist Raymond Mondragon on EPCOG's help in setting up an arrangement between House schools and the village of House to get water service to four mobile homes the school district secured for employees of the district.

Mondragon said EPCOG is also helping untangle an imbroglio between Roosevelt County, the state's road department, Curry County and the U.S. Air Force over road use, repairs and fees owed in the vicinity of the Melrose Bombing Range.

EPCOG is "a voluntary association of local governments to establish a federally recognized economic development and planning district."