A general obligation bond to construct a permanent homeless shelter and resource facility, funded through property tax revenue, is being proposed to Norman voters. It is proposed to meet a long-term goal, after the need for a permanent shelter was identified in a Community Gaps Analysis Study and Action Plan dating back to 2021.

A women’s dorm, men’s dorm, family units, laundry room, respite rooms, dog kennel and dog run, storage units, multi-use space, restrooms, showers and staff areas. View a facility concept here. By day, the intended operator will be able to help clients gain housing by offering services such as completing applications, obtaining ID cards or birth certificates, and job navigation. By night, the facility would shelter up to 120 people.

Yes. Learn more about the concept of low-barrier shelters here.

The bond is a sum of $8 million to be paid over 20 years.

Yes, there would be an estimated average annual increase of $3.26 for homes valued at $100,000; $6.81 for homes valued at $200,000; $10.36 for homes valued at $300,000; $13.91 for homes valued at $400,000; $17.46 for homes valued at $500,000.

The City of Norman would own the facility and contract with a qualified operator to operate the shelter. CityCare, a nonprofit agency currently contracted to manage a city shelter on West Gray Street, is expected to operate the new facility and intent has been discussed in public meetings. Upon completion of the project, a new contract would be negotiated. Residents can view current CityCare reports on shelter operations at this webpage under “Contractor Updates.”

No. The bond would cover facility construction. As discussed in public meetings leading to approval of the community-wide vote, operational expenses are estimated to be around $930,000.00. Operational expenses are expected to be covered through the City’s general fund and CityCare fundraising/grant efforts. Responsibilities of both parties regarding funding portions would be determined during contract negotiation after construction. There is a shared goal to decrease the City’s contribution to shelter operations over time.

There is currently a low-barrier, City-owned shelter located at West Gray and James Garner Avenue in Downtown Norman. It is operated by CityCare. The shelter was repurposed from a building once used for storage. A voter sentiment survey conducted in December 2025 showed that 64% of respondents believed the shelter should be moved to another location. The current facility – built in the 1960s – sleeps only 52 individuals a night, lacks family unit areas, contains undisturbed asbestos, requires “fire watch” services since it does not have a fire suppression system and borders mainly businesses instead of resource providers.

CityCare is contracted to operate the current shelter. See shelter history, copies of agreements and other relevant information here.

Through a competitive proposal process issued in earlier years for potential redevelopment of the property the current shelter sits on, an interested investor has been identified and remains interested in building a mixed use development of multi-family housing and commercial uses pending relocation of the shelter.

The new facility would be built on purchased City property on Reed Avenue, south of Griffin Hospital and adjacent to other resource providers such as Food & Shelter, the Cleveland County Health Department, and Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center. If the proposition is approved, the facility is expected to be constructed within 2 years. For more information, view the Legal Description, Site Map Details from Contractor Concept and the Site Map Overview of Area (area where proposed shelter is considered to be is outlined in orange).

Yes. Meetings with neighbors to the residential area west of the site continue. City staff and City Council members have placed high priority on understanding and addressing the concerns of neighbors and working toward accommodations prior to construction. There has also been discussion of more formal and collaborative relationships and documented expectations, between neighbors and stakeholders and the operator, when the facility comes on-line in the form of a potential Good Neighbor Pledge.

You can access survey results here.

View history, information and reports at this informational webpage. 

“Shall The City of Norman, State of Oklahoma, incur an indebtedness by issuing its general obligation bonds in the sum of Eight Million Dollars ($8,000,000) to provide funds for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, reconstructing, expanding, repairing, which may also include improving, renovating, acquiring and equipping a homeless shelter community facility, to be owned exclusively by said City, to be completed with or without the use of other funds, and levy and collect an annual tax, in addition to all other taxes, upon all the taxable property in said City sufficient to pay the interest on said bonds as it falls due, and also to constitute a sinking fund for the payment of the principal thereof when due, said bonds to be competitively sold and bear interest at the lowest rate not to exceed the rate of ten percentum (10%) per annum, payable semi-annually and to become due serially within twenty (20) years from their date?”

The election is April 7, 2026. The last day to register to vote in order to cast a ballot in the election is March 13, 2026. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is March 23, 2026. Early Voting will occur on April 2 and April 3, 2026.

At this time, there is intent from City Council to move forward with the construction of a permanent homeless shelter but funding to do so would need to be identified.

State law would prohibit any sex offender from staying at the current shelter or at the newly proposed shelter.

Yes, there will be five city-wide propositions on the ballot for Norman voters on April 7, 2026. Learn more here.

Issuance of the bonds would occur through a series of steps with City of Norman bond counsel and necessary approvals by our governing body. Should this measure achieve voter approval, it is expected that bonds would close prior to the end of June and begin the third or fourth quarter of 2026. The bond is a sum of $8 million to be paid over 20 years.

While the Salvation Army of Norman has shared publicly that there are plans to expand their shelter, those plans have not been finalized or submitted to the City for the consideration of any potential partnership.

The City of Norman applauds the work of the Salvation Army and appreciates their many contributions to the community. The City of Norman recognizes that providing shelter and resources to vulnerable populations trying to reach stability takes many hands and many forms. 

The shelter proposition posed to voters on April 7 coincides with a plan of action and operational details for the full consideration of voters.

As a sometimes transient population, the number of unhoused individuals can vary year-to-year or month-to-month. The City of Norman participates in a Point-in-Time (PIT) Count each year, which is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night. Significant efforts go into examining each area of the community to ensure the best figures are recorded. Norman's 2025 PIT Count was 238.

The newly proposed shelter, if approved, would shelter up to 120 people. This more than doubles what is currently available at the City-owned shelter at West Gray and James Garner Avenue. The newly proposed shelter would complement the efforts of the other partner agencies that provide shelter and resources as well, such as the Salvation Army and Food & Shelter, some of which have also shared plans to expand.

At this time there is no intention of setting a time limitation, regarding number of overnight stays, for those who may be seeking shelter if this project comes to fruition. As resource providers and case managers will be tied into the overall operations and mission of the shelter, however, the goal will be for all clients to be re-housed and able to obtain independent stability.

No. This proposition requires a majority vote to pass. 

The ordinance states that the debt is being issued pursuant to the authority in Article 10, Section 27 of the Constitution, which says a city may, by a majority vote, become indebted for the purpose of constructing public utilities. “Public utilities” has been interpreted very broadly to include community facilities as defined by state law (this would include parks, senior centers, homeless shelters, juvenile centers, etc).