The Senate Bill 484 would remove homeless services in cities sizing less than 300,000.
The Senate Bill 484 would prohibit any Oklahoma city with a population of less than 300,000 from providing services or programs to the homeless, reported KTEN. This includes owning or leasing land for the purpose of building or maintaining a shelter according to KTEN. Bill 484 was authored by newly elected state senator Lisa Standridge (R-District 15) from Norman added KTEN. Only Oklahoma City and Tulsa have more than 300,000 residents so this would remove them from this action reports Oklahoma News 4. The bill defines a homeless person as someone who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence or someone who does not have access to normal accommodations, reported Oklahoma News 4.
Oklahoma lawmakers will return to the Capitol Monday Feb. 3, marking the 60th legislative session which reads through bills that have been filed in the last few weeks, reports KTEN. State representative Tammy Townley (R-District 44) said, “It’s over in the Senate side right now so we’ll see what happens.” She thinks it “…would just have to probably be a ‘no’ on it when it comes to the floor or comes to a committee,” reports KTEN.
George Young, a pastor and former state senator from Oklahoma City, does not understand why this bill would ever be thought necessary, “I can’t imagine why a piece of legislation of that nature would ever be brought up,” reported Oklahoma News 4. As a pastor, Young cannot understand the bill’s proposal alongside the Bible teaching to help the needy. Young admits it is not the first time he has seen lawmakers try to address the homelessness issue, added Oklahoma News 4. In 2023 the city of Shawnee passed an ordinance making it a crime to sit or lie down on public sidewalks reported Oklahoma News 4.
Homeless shelters spreading across Oklahoma provide key support for the homeless, providing food and more necessities they could need. Mama T’s is a homeless shelter in Ada, a city population of approximately 16,000 providing vital support for the community, says KTEN. Mama T’s provides emergency shelter services to a wide range of the population, not discriminating “…on the basis of race, colour, national origin, sex, disability, or age,” details Mama T’s website. Mama T’s motto is to give “A hand up, not a handout” to help reinforce that Mama T’s is not a place for the chronically homeless who intend to stay that way but want to help people on their way back into society, Mama T’s website. The work Mama T’s does would be in jeopardy and as a result, helping the homeless cross the bridge back into society and the opportunities surrounding this would be lost if this bill is passed. Bill 484 would have detrimental effects on the employees at Mama T’s and similar establishments, as well as the homeless who rely on the services. Jeremy Johnson who is the shelter’s executive director stated, “As far as we’re concerned, that doesn’t necessarily affect us too much, because we don’t get any funding from the city, and the property that we’re in was donated,” reported KTEN. Johnson continued, “I’m hoping that it doesn’t really get much more traction. If every other city has to shut down services, then all of those people are going to end up in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. There’s already a big enough problem in those cities as it is,” details KTEN. If this bill passes the likelihood of draining other services is high and there will be issues of overcrowding.
Townley admitted she is not confident that the bill will get far at the Oklahoma Capitol. Townley adds, “If these cities want to fund these problems, it should be up to the city,” reported KTEN. Townley works with the Homeless Alliance, located in Oklahoma City, another place making huge differences to people’s lives. Another homeless shelter, Tahlequah United Methodist Church community center, doubles as one of the biggest homeless shelters in Cherokee County, especially during winter events, reports 2 News Oklahoma. Reverend Shana Dry says “It takes a whole community to come together,” reported 2 News Oklahoma. OKC Housing Authority Assistant Director Of Development Greg Shinn told 2 News Oklahoma that “Majority of people in Oklahoma that have no place to go are Oklahomans,” and added “They would be disconnected from all of that were they forced to be relocated to the cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, which do not have capacity,” further detailed 2 News Oklahoma. Both Shinn and Reverend Dry argue this bill is against Oklahoma values.
Oklahoma leaders who work in homeless outreach said this bill would be “…catastrophic if enacted” details Oklahoma News 4. Homeless Alliance CEO Meghan Mueller said, “We are disappointed to hear about SB-484 and find it to be counterproductive to our approach to homeless services” and continues “When you limit the ability of communities to respond to the needs of their own residents, no one wins. This is not culturally competent, nor does it consider the impact on other communities in our state,” reported Oklahoma News 4.
