Two Oklahoma lawmakers are pushing ahead with plans to propose state oversight of homeless shelters after a more than 3-hour study of the issue at the Capitol.

Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, and Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, organized an interim study to evaluate potential state and local standards for homeless shelters, but there were few details discussed about what such rules might look like during an Oct. 20 hearing.    

Service providers instead implored lawmakers not to implement restrictive policies and regulations that would make it harder for people to receive help.

“It’s hard to think of additional oversight that would improve shelter service outcomes,” Rachel Freeman, CEO of the Oklahoma City shelter City Care, told The Frontier. 

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Homeless shelters already follow certain federal and local rules and must adhere to various health and safety requirements, The Frontier previously reported. This includes obtaining proper permits, passing health inspections and complying with other standards for safety, sanitation and privacy. Inspectors check shelters for compliance with health and safety rules before they can receive some funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

West said in a recent interview he wants additional oversight to ensure shelters are meeting these requirements and only serving those they are authorized to serve, such as checking that domestic violence shelters are only housing people who have experienced abuse. This will likely be enforced with added inspections and reporting from shelters, West said. 

Erin Goodin, CEO of the Oklahoma City shelter City Rescue Mission, said lengthy inspections or approval processes could delay access to emergency shelters and discourage new shelter development. In some cases, additional regulations could also result in fewer people served or in shelter closures, she added. 

“If we were unable to meet any type of regulations or licensing requirement, the day we shut, there would be 350 people, including about 120 to 150 kids, that are immediately living on your street corners out in the downtown area, anywhere in the community,” Goodin told lawmakers. “With our shelter closing down, in a five-year timespan you could increase unsheltered homelessness by 8,000 people.” 

Standridge told The Frontier after the hearing that she believes all homeless shelters should be regulated by the state. She said she would share more concrete plans as to what oversight would look like closer to bill filing in December. 

“I do believe that for the best interest of everyone involved, we do need to have a little bit of regulation,” Standridge said. “We’re dealing with people’s lives; they’re very fragile. We also need to make sure that the public at large is safe.” 

West remains interested in a two-tiered system with state-level monitoring by the Health Department and local oversight through county commissioners. He said he supports the Legislature appropriating new money to cover any costs associated with the added oversight, rather than pulling from existing resources.

His goal is not to shutter local shelters, West said, but to improve safety. He’s open to hearing from lawmakers and experts to determine the best method for shelter monitoring, he added. 

“There will definitely be legislation that has some level of that state oversight,” West said. “I just don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like.”

Law enforcement officials invited to speak during the study said nothing of a need for additional shelter oversight. Officers are burdened by a lack of mental health and substance abuse treatment options they can take people to instead of jail, said Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado. Currently, Regalado said around 55% of the Tulsa County Jail’s population of 1,700 are receiving mental health treatment.

“I run the largest mental health facility,” Regalado said. “And unfortunately, it’s at the David L. Moss jail.”

During the study, Freeman urged lawmakers to find solutions to help house people instead of adding more regulations that could hinder providers’ ability to assist the homeless population. 

“A shelter is not an end goal,” Freeman said. “It is a container for the courageous work that our shelter guests are willing to put in to start again. Let us walk alongside them while they do that.”