Oxnard officials believe they may finally have secured a tenant for a women's drug and alcohol recovery facility on Rose Avenue.

The City Council is being asked to authorize a $1,000-per-month, three-year lease with The Lighthouse Women and Children's Mission at its meeting tonight. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 305 W. Third St.

"I'm ecstatic," said Sal Gonzalez, the city's housing director.

Oxnard-based Lighthouse serves homeless women and women with drug and alcohol issues in a transitional living program and an emergency shelter and is expected to move current clients to the new facility, according to a city report. Lighthouse expects to take occupancy of the city facility on April 1, Gonzalez said. Lighthouse officials could not be reached for comment.

City officials needed to find a tenant for the house at 1450 S. Rose Ave. by March 15 or face having to return a $380,000 grant to the federal Housing and Urban Development Department. The city has spent about $1.9 million renovating the facility, with some of the money coming from state and federal grants as well as donations.

The house was originally intended for the Rainbow House Recovery Center, which was being relocated from the College Park area.

But in March, Rainbow House shut down before the new facility could be occupied. The nonprofit's board dissolved the agency, saying it did not have enough clients to continue.

The city, concerned it would have to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding if a new agency didn't take occupancy of the house, sent out a request for proposals last summer, netting three bidders for the space.

The top bidder, Miracle House Recovery Centers of Ventura, was awarded a contract, but in December notified the city the agency would not be moving in.

"They changed their minds and decided not to occupy," Gonzalez said.

So city officials approached the two other bidders again, and Lighthouse agreed to a lease with the city, though the $1,000-per-month lease is about half of what Miracle House had agreed to pay. The reduced rate was attributed to Lighthouse having a financial commitment it did not face at the time of its initial bid, according to the city report.

In order to meet federal guidelines, the faith-based agency has agreed to modify its program's religious requirements so that attendance at religious services is not mandatory, Gonzalez said.