On Tuesday, the council set April 7 as the date for a special election for Norman voters to decide on multiple issues, including the issuance of a general obligation bond not to exceed $8 million for the construction of a permanent homeless shelter.
This follows the council purchasing a plot of Griffin Memorial Hospital land off Reed Avenue in November with the intention of building a homeless shelter there if voters approve the proposal.
Earlier this month, the council presented a concept design for the shelter, which was created with input from nonprofit City Care, which operates Norman’s current homeless shelter at a temporary location.
Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman said Norman needs a shelter, and the council is asking voters how they want to fund the service.
“The question isn’t about whether we have a homeless shelter in Norman. We do, and we’re going to have one or several of them for the foreseeable future, until homelessness is solved,” Holman said.
Community meetings to discuss the shelter proposal will be held at Norman Public Library East on Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and at Alameda Church of Christ on Saturday from 9:30 to noon.
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