Sen. Lisa Standridge has asked the state to clear tents in Norman three times. She has also sought to move dozens of unhoused residents to Oklahoma City.
The sweep displaced dozens and gave local shelters and other service providers little time to prepare.
New data shows overall homelessness dipped slightly for the first time since 2018, even as more families with children and unaccompanied youth fall into crisis.
Oklahoma has agreed to spend up to $800,000 to house about 40 people after Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation SAFE — a shift from his earlier opposition to using tax dollars for homelessness housing.
State officials are negotiating a deal to cover the cost of rent and other services for people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City, a move that contrasts sharply with the approach taken in Tulsa.
Most youth who lack permanent housing in the state don’t fit the federal housing department’s definitions of homelessness and often don’t qualify for services.
City Care plans to open a 40-room medical respite facility in 2027 near their existing night shelter in Oklahoma City to help the ill and injured who have nowhere else to go.