City Council Oversight Committee Meeting - December 11, 2025

The City Council Oversight Committee convened on December 11, 2025, to review critical updates on homelessness operations, community action plans, and housing regulations in Norman. The meeting featured detailed reports from City Care on shelter operations, the Homeless Coalition on the Home Base Action Plan, and presentations by city attorneys regarding short-term rental ordinances and the potential implementation of a Right to Counsel program for eviction cases.

Consent Calendar

• No routine approvals were listed in the transcript.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments or testimony from general members of the public were recorded during this session.

Discussion Items

• Emergency Shelter Update (City Care): Sean Lloyd presented data from January 15, 2025, through November. Key statistics included 16,942 shelter beds provided (averaging 51 people/day), a Point-in-Time (PIT) count of 240, and 397 unique individuals served. 140 guests self-reported as chronically homeless, 25 as veterans, and 173 (nearly half) had experienced domestic violence. Demographics indicated a high concentration of White residents (253) and Native/Indigenous residents (23), with a notable trend of older adults experiencing homelessness for the first time due to housing affordability issues.

  • Position: Speakers noted that while 60 people receive $500-$1,000/month and 271 have zero income, many technically have sufficient income for rent but lack funds for other necessities. Barriers include obtaining IDs and securing deposits, despite the receipt of ESG and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) grants.
  • Position: Speakers identified a need for more case managers and highlighted that while Native health care and VA resources exist, connection to these services is often blocked by eligibility issues or lack of patient cooperation.

• Homeless Coalition Action Plan: Lee Hall and Heidi Smith presented the updated Home Base Action Plan. The coalition unanimously identified establishing one permanent, year-round shelter with day and night services as the highest priority, noting the recent successful acquisition of property for this goal.

  • Position: Speakers emphasized that while 40 of the original action steps remain relevant, the community needs a coordinated street outreach team, expanded case management for pre-and post-housing support, and a new entity, "Home Together Norman," to sustain collaboration.
  • Position: Speakers expressed concern regarding potential HUD policy changes shifting funding from "Housing First" (90%) to "Treatment First" (30%), which they argued would devastate rural communities lacking treatment capacity. They also noted the PIT count is likely a significant undercount.

• Short-Term Rental (STR) Ordinance: Assistant City Attorney Jeannie Snyder provided an update on the 429 identified licensed STR properties, noting a significant concentration in Ward 4 (214 properties).

  • Position: Council members expressed strong support for implementing geographic limitations or caps on the number of STRs in specific neighborhoods, particularly in areas with affordable housing stock, to prevent neighborhood saturation. Counselor Grant noted that while numbers fluctuate, the current clustering is problematic.
  • Position: Staff indicated that while a city-wide cap is an option, modifying the ordinance to enforce stronger neighborhood notification requirements and potential geographic clustering limits (e.g., by street or neighborhood) was a priority for investigation.

• Right to Counsel for Evictions: Executive Director Mike Figgins of Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and City Attorney Rick Knight discussed a potential pilot program to provide attorneys to low-income tenants facing eviction.

  • Position: Speakers highlighted that eviction filings in Cleveland County total approximately 4,000 annually, leading directly to homelessness, school instability, and job loss. They argued that the current 5-day hearing timeline and lack of representation create a system where tenants inevitably lose housing.
  • Position: Speakers proposed a pilot program utilizing one attorney (costing approx. $100,000) or partnering with the OU Law Clinic to handle 5-7 contested evictions per week. They argued that for every dollar spent on legal counsel, the city saves nearly $7.20 in other services, and that 95% of cases handled by legal aid are resolved favorably for the tenant.

Key Outcomes

• Shelter Operations: City Care continues to operate with 51 average daily guests; the coalition confirmed the property acquisition for a permanent shelter is complete and prioritizes its development.
• Strategic Planning: The Homeless Coalition has dissolved as a formal working group; its mission and members are transitioning into "Home Together Norman" to maintain advocacy and coordination.
• Funding Constraints: Council members acknowledged the urgency of potential HUD policy shifts and the current lack of funding mechanisms for Right to Counsel, though the concept gained significant traction for a pilot study.
• Next Steps:
  • Short-Term Rentals: Staff to research geographic clustering limitations and strengthen notification requirements; Councilmember Grant to work with GIS to map specific clusters in Ward 4.
  • Right to Counsel: Council agreed to explore a pilot program, potentially engaging the OU Law Clinic and determining funding sources (General Fund or philanthropy), and will reconvene to discuss the pilot scope and partners.
  • PIT Count: Volunteer recruitment initiated for the upcoming January Point-in-Time count scheduled for 4:30 AM.
  • Salvation Army: Council instructed the City Manager to invite Salvation Army leadership to brief the Mayor and Council on their capacity expansion plans.