With a submittal deadline approaching on Monday, the Bogalusa City Council had to call a public meeting on Thursday morning for a Friday meeting to authorize Mayor Wendy Perrette to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with Project Save Bogalusa. Under the agreement, the city will donate 40 adjudicated properties to the non-profit and certified Community Housing Development Organization, using guidelines developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The properties are located in every district of the city, and they would be offered to low- to moderate-income residents. The residents would initially rent the properties, and would later be offered home ownership.

Wendy Williams, founder of Project Save Bogalusa, said she has been researching the project and has developed a partnership MACO Development Company L.L.C. of Clarkton, Mo., which has signed on for the local project. The limited partnership has been named Bogalusa Rebirth LP.

“I think this is a very good opportunity for Bogalusa,” Williams said. “It’s an opportunity to bring more than $7 million to our city through the partnership of a tax credit developer and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.”

She said all of the properties would be single-family homes or duplexes, and that “none would be multi-family.”

The vote was approved 5-0. Council president Tamira Smith was absent, and council member Gloria Kates abstained.