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Mercy House asks Fremont County to serve as pass-through for WCDA grant to expand homeless services
Summary
Mercy House representatives asked commissioners to act as the governmental pass-through for a WCDA grant to demolish a building and develop shelter, food and counseling services; Mercy House said it would not request county funds and the board asked for clarification about county administration responsibilities and oversight.
Representatives of Riverton’s Mercy House outlined plans May 19 to apply for a WCDA grant to develop homeless services and asked Fremont County to serve as the governmental pass-through should the application be successful.
Vice-Chair Scott Komrs and Treasurer Rowena Bland described Mercy House’s current operations and said the organization received a donated property in 2024 from Eagle’s Hope. Komrs said Mercy House plans to demolish a dilapidated two-story building on that property and eventually provide shelter, meals and counseling for people experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder and alcoholism. He told the board Mercy House is a faith-based, non-denominational organization that would not require clients to participate in faith-based activities.
Komrs emphasized Mercy House is not requesting direct county funds; rather, they asked the county to serve as a pass-through agency so the organization could meet grant requirements that call for governmental oversight. Mercy House indicated the full WCDA application would be due by Sept. 30 and estimated the grant request at about $200,000 depending on updated quotes.
County commissioners requested additional clarification about what administering the grant would require of the county, including fiscal oversight and reporting responsibilities, before making any decision. The board did not vote to commit the county at the May 19 meeting and asked Mercy House to provide the requested information on the grant terms, expected county responsibilities if awarded, and more detailed project cost estimates.
Next steps: Mercy House will pursue a Letter of Intent and return with clarifications; no county commitment was recorded on May 19.
