Who You Gonna Believe? Not ANPH!

Casa Bonita - Oneonta

ANPH stands for Alabama Non-Profit Housing, a group whose mission is published as: To provide decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing for the low income residents of Alabama. What the mission statement of ANPH doesn't mention is that these low income residents must be agriculture workers. So far in the organization's seven years of existence, it's built ten units, or less than one and one-half units per year.

The ten finished units are in Oneonta and bear the name Casa Bonita (Pictured left--the riprap's a nice touch). Translated into English, the ten unit complex is called Pretty House or Nice House. You may ask how anyone could be opposed to building pretty houses? Apparently someone in Oneonta was, since current ANPH president Jacob Rogers has publicly stated it took three years to get approval for the compound to be built in that central Alabama city.

When finally completed, the complex actually lay one mile outside Oneonta city limits and consisted of five duplexes. The ten units have two, three, or four bedrooms. When the project was finished in October 2011, Rogers stated there would be more units added; however, no work on any addition has been started. What the ANPH has done is to make plans for a similar project in a northwest Alabama city.

The organization has found eight acres in that lucky town which it feels will be perfect for its second foray into USDA subsidized housing. If we read the ANPH's Facebook page we would be led to believe their new housing project is a done deal. From FB March 2012: ANPH and Florida Non-Profit Housing met with the City of Russellville today. The City is supporting us 100% for a new project!!! Sites have been determined! Development stages have been started!

Yes, dear friends, the lucky town is Russellville, but we have to break the bad news to you. While ANPH would have its investors think the city is supporting them, the town of Russellville has actually refused to grant any permits for this Franklin County equivalent of Beverly Hills. Oh, let's not call ANPH outright liars, let's just call them wishful thinkers.

At least 20 prominent Russellville citizens, including attorney Jeff Bowling, attended the last council meeting to voice their irritation at the project. Rogers, who apparently has never had any Dale Carnegie courses, is publicly blaming the town council for not presenting the project in the right light. Also present was a similar group from Florida offering its unsolicited expertise. Further, there was someone calling himself the Rev. Charles Dale (no church affiliation given of course) blaming the council's rejection of the project on racism. Someone please buy Dale a dictionary...please!  

Rogers has stated he will break down the council and prevail (we told you he had never heard of Dale Carnegie). Rosewood Gardens will be built...on the main street...in a single residential area...because it's all about money. If ANPH cared about Russellville and its citizens, it would have found an area currently zoned for two-family dwellings.

Hmmmm, was that really Rev. Dale from whatever or could it have been Rev. LeRoy from the Church of What's Happenin' Now? 





Shoalanda