Some Question Nightspot that Funds AIDS Group

A nightclub operating in the AIDS Housing Coalition Houston Inc. headquarters after hours has received mixed reviews. Representatives of other AIDS assistance groups say the club is an innovative funding tool, but some neighbors have complained of loud noise and unruly behavior. By day, the AIDS Housing Coalition Houston Inc. helps locate apartments and financial assistance for HIV-positive people. After 2 a.m., its office space becomes Club Nsomnia, an after-hours bring-your-own-bottle nightclub.

Some Montrose residents object to the nightclub being in their neighborhood. Nsomnia is an "eyesore," said Jeffrey Cole, president of the Avondale Association, a Montrose-area neighborhood group. It attracts drug and alcohol users to an area already overburdened with bars, he said. The club is open 2 a.m.-6 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and Cole said dozens of people who live nearby have complained to the association about disorderly conduct and excessive noise. Cole said operating the club seems incongruous with the coalition's mission to help people with HIV/AIDS. He wondered why the coalition does not apply for federal grants instead of operating a club that allows alcohol.

Matt Locklin, the coalition's executive director and founder, said the group does not want to accept government grants because there are too many strings attached. Nsomnia generates between $4,000 and $6,000 weekly, Locklin said. People can make contributions at the door, and the club sells mixers for $3. Other funding sources toward the group's $35,000-$70,000 annual budget are donations and a monthly rummage sale, Locklin said. Drugs are not allowed at the 3-year-old club, and patrons are counseled about safer sex, said Locklin. He has applied for a liquor license in hopes that by selling drinks the club could raise even more money.

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