PICHER, Okla. (AP) — Officials with the housing authority in the dying town of Picher are looking for ways to use more than $135,000 in federal stimulus money.
The Picher Housing Authority never asked for the money — but the federal stimulus package included money for every active housing authority in the nation.
The town is contaminated from years of lead and zinc mining and a federal buyout of residents is nearly complete. The housing authority has only three of its 54 units occupied and is trying to move to nearby Fairland.
Authority director John Sparkman says there is no plan for the money and if a plan is not created and submitted by March the stimulus money will go back to the federal government.
