At its meeting Monday, the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board voted to recommend a proposed mental health facility receive $495,000 from the city’s affordable housing trust.

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center will run the facility, which will provide temporary housing for no- or low-income mental health patients. Douglas County Commissioner and board member Nancy Thellman said she thinks it’s important for the city to contribute to improvements in mental health care.

“I think it’s really important to recognize the serious need for transitional housing and the fact that no developer is going to do it,” Thellman said. “It’s not a money maker; it has to be subsidized.”

The board voted unanimously to award Bert Nash the $495,000 in affordable housing trust funds, which represents the funds left over from last year’s undistributed grant amounts, as well as dollars for 2018.

The project, Bridges Transitional Recovery Program, will construct an approximately 4,000-square-foot transitional housing and mental health recovery facility at 1000 W. Second St. The facility will provide transitional housing for mental health patients and include eight to 12 beds. Bridges will serve those with 30 percent or less of median income and be staffed 24/7 by Bert Nash staff.

The grant from the city will pay for all the costs to construct the facility, and Bert Nash has programming and funding established for the facility’s operational needs, according to Bert Nash Housing Program Manager Mathew Faulk. Bert Nash already owns the land the facility will be built on, part of which was previously dedicated by Douglas County.

The county has been leading efforts to improve mental health care in the area, and is working on plans for a mental health crisis center. Board member Shannon Oury agreed with Thellman, saying that the city should also be involved in the overall effort.

“I think the city is a critical player in really making a sea change in this area,” said Oury, who represents the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority on the board. “And I would also like to see the city be one of the partners in this deal.”

The board recommended funding the Bert Nash facility over three other requests. All the projects were proposed by local nonprofit organizations and included subsidized temporary housing, rentals and homes for purchase.

In November, Lawrence voters repurposed a portion of the citywide sales tax to help fund the affordable housing trust fund. The tax will provide about $1 million annually for the trust from 2019 to 2029.

The board’s recommendation will now go to the City Commission for review.