Housing committee member Joe Fuhrman gave APEX Austin members the good news and the bad news Tuesday afternoon.

Though the housing committee was looking at the possibility of renting flood plain houses to serve as transitional housing, federal flood grant programs prohibit the houses from being rented. They must be sold.

On the positive side, Fuhrman said, if APEX could find some landlords that would be willing to do transitional housing,

funding would be available through Section 8 financing and the landlord could be guaranteed renters.

Renters would also be responsible for a portion of the rent.

"It's workable because the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) can move the money to a housing unit rather than an individual," Fuhrman said.

"We may not see a need for it right now," said Lilliana Silvestry, "But, when Farmland opens up their doors…(we will)."

Silvestry gave the Welcome Center quarterly report and told the APEX group that renewal of a site partnership with AmeriCorp is being processed. If the partnership agreement is approved, she said, the Welcome Center will have to AmeriCorp members who will be working with the youth program in the fall.

She said the members would help at-risk minority youth to increase their potential for personal growth through tutoring of high schools students, helping them to succeed academically.

The next APEX Austin meeting will be held at 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 21 in the Town Center conference room on the lower level.

Call Ailene Dawson at 434-2235 or e-mail her at ailene.dawson@austindailyherald.com.