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RESOLUTION R-1415-74: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO FUND EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS IN THE EVENT OF EXTREME WEATHER TEMPERATURES.
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BACKGROUND: The City Council Finance Committee met on February 19, 2014. At that meeting, they discussed a need in the Norman community for emergency homeless shelter in periods of extreme heat or cold. Currently, Food and Shelter for Friends, a local non-profit organization, opens their facility overnight during these extreme weather periods as well as offers motel vouchers. Food and Shelter distributes these hotel vouchers on a priority basis to adults with minor children in their care or vulnerable adults where no other shelter is possible.
At the February 19, 2014 meeting, the Director of Food and Shelter for Friends requested that the Council consider allowing the City Manager to utilize a certain amount of City funds annually to provide hotels rooms for homeless individuals and families. This request was made because the need for such hotel rooms is currently exceeding the resources of Food and Shelter for Friends. Accordingly, the attached Resolution has been drafted and is presented for Council's consideration.
DISCUSSION: Resolution R-1415-74 discusses the need for additional funds for emergency shelter. According to the Annual Point in Time Count of Homelessness, which is performed annually in the City of Norman, there are four to six hundred homeless individuals within the City of Norman. In addition to these figures, over three hundred school children reported homelessness in the past year. Also, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services reports that there are over one thousand individuals are living doubled up with friends or family or in a place unfit for human habitation within the City of Norman.
Food and Shelter for Friends is dedicated to feeding hungry men, women, and children and to housing families in crisis. In carrying out this mission, Food and Shelter for Friends has developed a policy for the provision of emergency shelter. That policy states that during extreme weather months, Food and Shelter for Friends will open their facility to provide emergency shelter to individuals who live on the streets of the City of Norman. According to the policy, extreme weather months include summer days where the temperatures remain above ninety-five degrees and winter nights where the temperatures drop below forty degrees. As stated above, Food and Shelter for Friends also offers motel vouchers which are distributed on a priority basis to adults with minor children in their care and elderly or vulnerable adults where no other shelter is possible.
As requested by the Committee, the attached Resolution gives the City Manager the authority to utilize up to $20,000 per fiscal year to augment the funds for hotel rooms for homeless individuals and families through Food and Shelter for Friends according to their established policy. Staff discussed the appropriate funding amount with April Heiple, the Executive Director for Food and Shelter for Friends, and she believes this amount is adequate to meet the needs of the community in this area. It may not be necessary to use any or all of these funds every year, and they will only be used as the weather and the community needs dictate.
RECOMMENDATION: If Council wishes to provide additional funding, in an amount not to exceed $20,000 per fiscal year, Staff recommends adoption of Resolution R-1415-74 authorizing the provision of emergency shelter as an appropriate use of Emergency Reserve funds and for the City Manager to provide those funds to be used for hotel rooms for homeless individuals and families through Food and Shelter for Friends according to their established Policy. If needed, funds will come from the Emergency Reserve Account (010-1001-411.40-97).