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‘WE CARE ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORS’ BY ARI FIFE
City of Norman collaborates with nonprofit for strategic plan to curb homelessness, examines additional approaches When Ward 7 councilmember Stephen Holman was first elected to the city council in 2013, he said his father didn’t have permanent housing and was living at the Jesus House — a Christian nonprofit that offers food, shelter and resources to those experiencing homelessness — in Oklahoma City. Holman said he remembers making the drive from Norman to pick him up to attend his swearing-in ceremony. His father ended up working for the Oklahoma City Jesus House, then worked at the Jesus House in Jacksonville, Florida, and moved back to Norman — where he now has housing — over a year ago. “Having dealt with it from a personal standpoint, that makes it important to me, but also just general care of our city, of our community and all the people that live here — whether they live in a structured house, or they live on the streets,” Holman said. “We are all citizens of Norman, so I think it’s in the best interest of everyone if the city government is doing everything we can with our resources to try to address the issue of being unhoused.” On Jan. 12, the Norman City Council approved a $100,000 contract to develop a strategic plan addressing homelessness in collaboration with Homebase, a San Francisco nonprofit dedicated to “building community capacity to prevent and end homelessness,” according to its website. To create the strategic plan, project members plan to meet with focus groups consisting of individuals experiencing homelessness, providers and stakeholders. Holman has often referred to homelessness as one of the biggest problems facing Norman, including in his recent campaign to retain his city council seat. He supports the plan, as he said it can provide a more holistic view of the contributing factors. Norman Mayor Breea Clark said the plan is needed, especially as homelessness is increasing across the country.
“We have to do better, and I think the best way to tackle such a big issue is to have a good plan,” Clark said. “I know Norman does a lot of plans, but this one, I wholeheartedly think is the right thing to do. Oklahoma City did it, Tulsa did it — and so we just want to come up with the best long-term solution possible.” Nationwide waves of evictions caused by COVID-19 threaten a “catastrophic housing displacement,” according to Reuters. As increasing pressure is placed on city infrastructures, some experts say the $4 billion provided in March 2020 through the CARES Act bailout and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is running out. Holman said efforts in Norman to curb homelessness began in the late 1990s, when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development demolished a decaying apartment building and sold the property to the city government for $1. City leaders were able to sell the property to a developer and have been using the proceeds from the sale to help the local unhoused population since. Holman said several initiatives to provide more consistent housing have been passed during his tenure on city council, including approval and zoning for a new Food and Shelter campus. The campus includes 32 tiny homes that are currently in use, he said, and the project anticipates a second phase with 32 more tiny homes soon, although fundraising efforts have been hampered by COVID-19. Holman said the council has also approved funding for the purchase of a building on North Porter Avenue, which it plans to convert into a permanent overnight warming shelter to operate during inclement weather and a centralized hub for local nonprofit service providers. Despite these efforts, he said a strategic
A sign on the entrance of the Norman warming shelter on Feb.12.
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
