Homeless coalition endorses permanent year‑round shelter, coordinated outreach

Lee Hall, former Ward 4 council member and co‑convenor, and Heidi Smith, co‑lead of the Homeless Coalition, presented the group's update on Dec. 11 and identified six top priorities aimed at reducing homelessness in Norman.

The coalition, Hall said, reviewed and reprioritized the Bridging the Gap action steps created in 2022. "Establishing 1 permanent year round shelter with day and night services was unanimously identified by members of the coalition as the highest priority," Hall said.

Heidi Smith laid out the coalition's six priorities: a permanent year‑round shelter with day and night services; a coordinated citywide street and encampment outreach team combining street medicine, nursing, behavioral health and housing navigation; development of single‑room occupancy (SRO) buildings; expanded, highly coordinated assistance to obtain identification and public benefits; a community education and landlord engagement campaign; and proactive case management for people who exit shelters to maintain housing.

Smith said Norman occupies a middle ground: not fully urban but not rural, with constrained resources and unique local challenges. She flagged an increase in older adults experiencing homelessness for the first time and warned that, absent more prevention and affordable units, that trend could grow. "You cannot house somebody if you don't have affordable housing," Smith said, summarizing the relationship between affordable housing supply and homelessness prevention.

Smith also warned of a recent federal funding uncertainty: HUD issued and then withdrew a notice of funding opportunity that would have shifted money away from permanent supportive housing toward a "treatment first" model. Smith described local advocacy and litigation by other states and organizations that prompted HUD to pull the notice and said coalition partners are monitoring developments.

The coalition announced the creation of Home Together Norman, a coordinating body to carry forward priorities and community engagement. Smith urged council members and the public to volunteer for the PIT count in January, and outlined plans for outreach, landlord mitigation tools such as lease guarantees under some grant models, and a public education campaign to reduce stigma and increase community support.

Council members responded with questions about landlord mitigation, available public housing units, and how the coalition would operationalize outreach. Smith and other coalition members said they will provide more data to council and pursue partnerships for ID fairs and landlord engagement.

The coalition report is attached to the oversight agenda; no council action was taken at the meeting.