Norman has everything it needs to end homelessness by 2030. The same size as Medicine Hat, Alberta — which already did it. The same university assets. The same community will. The only missing ingredient is the commitment to act — and that moment is now.
$8M local capital is the match that unlocks federal eligibility
Recurring annual capacity
The Five Pillars
Permanent housing as the foundation, not the reward
Stopping homelessness before it starts
Mental health, addiction treatment, employment
Real-time tracking and community accountability
Federal, state, philanthropic & local streams
🏠 Norman is the same size as Medicine Hat, Alberta — which achieved functional zero homelessness in 2015. The same result is possible here.
Section II — Global Models of Success
Norman isn't experimenting. We're following a proven roadmap laid out by cities that have already solved this — and Norman's size makes us uniquely positioned to replicate their success.
Finland transformed its housing system through a national commitment to Housing First principles — placing people in permanent housing first, then addressing other needs. Since the 1980s, Finland has dramatically reduced long-term homelessness and is on track to eliminate it entirely.
NORMAN'S APPLICATION: Partner with faith communities and local developers to convert underutilized buildings into permanent supportive housing. Advocate for a city-level Housing First ordinance modeled on Finnish national policy.
Medicine Hat — nearly identical in population to Norman — became the first city in Canada to functionally end chronic homelessness. Their approach: dedicated municipal funding, a rapid rehousing team, and a real-time by-name registry moving individuals from streets to housing within days.
NORMAN'S APPLICATION: Establish a Rapid Rehousing Response Team. Implement a real-time by-name list in partnership with Cleveland County. Same city size. Same result is possible.
Houston achieved dramatic results through strong coordination between the city, county, healthcare systems, and nonprofits — all unified under a single Continuum of Care governance structure. They aligned funding streams, shared data, and measured outcomes rigorously.
NORMAN'S APPLICATION: Create a unified Norman Continuum of Care. Align the 27+ partner organizations already engaged around shared data and accountability metrics.
Section III — Funding & Financial Strategy
Every major federal housing and homelessness program requires non-federal match before a community can compete at all — HUD CoC requires 25%, ESG requires dollar-for-dollar, HOME requires 25% and names bond proceeds as an explicitly eligible match source. Norman's $8M is what makes the city eligible. It is not a multiplier, and no honest ratio exists in this field. What follows is what Cleveland County can realistically assemble, source by source.
Local Commitment (Capital)
$8M
Recurring Annual Capacity
$2.6M–$3.8M/yr
| Leverage Source | Mechanism | Est. Return |
|---|---|---|
| City Operating Commitment | General fund shelter operations + social services | ~$1.18M/yr |
| HUD CoC Program (OK-504) | Requires 25% local match; capped by Pro Rata Need formula | $673K/yr ceiling |
| HOME & HOME-ARP | 25% match — HUD names bond proceeds as eligible | $425K/yr + $1.56M awarded |
| State ESG (via Dept. of Commerce) | Competitive; dollar-for-dollar match required | $150K–$400K/yr |
| Vouchers (VASH & mainstream) | PHA-administered; imputed assistance value | $200K–$400K/yr |
| Foundation & Corporate | OG&E, Sarkeys, Inasmuch, OKC Community Foundation, United Way | $200K–$500K/yr |
| CDBG (homelessness-eligible share) | Formula entitlement; no match required | $100K–$250K/yr |
| RECURRING ANNUAL CAPACITY | Achievable within 24–36 months of disciplined administration | $2.6M–$3.8M/yr |
Funders That Actually Accept Applications
Most large national homelessness funders are invitation-only or geographically closed — Hilton funds Los Angeles County, Oak funds Boston, New York and Philadelphia, Ballmer and Wells Fargo take no unsolicited requests, and the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund has no application at all. Listing them as targets is not a strategy. These are the funders whose published guidelines a Cleveland County applicant can actually meet, with their real ranges and real deadlines.
Section IV — Five-Year Strategic Action Plan
A clear, year-by-year roadmap from the initial city investment to declaring functional zero homelessness in Norman by 2030.
Section V — Global Framework
Norman Home Free is grounded in a globally-proven framework. By adopting UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, Norman joins a worldwide movement of cities committed to inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable communities.
To create sustainable cities and communities, UN SDG 11 focuses on making urban areas inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable — the core values at the heart of Norman Home Free.
Key Targets
Ensure access to safe and affordable housing for all.
Provide access to safe, affordable, and sustainable transport systems.
Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory planning.
Protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage.
Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities.
Provide universal access to safe and green public spaces.
Adopting SDG 11 by City Council resolution accomplishes critical goals for Norman:
Opens access to UN-affiliated grant programs available only to formally committed municipalities.
Positions Norman to apply for Voluntary Local Review (VLR) status — giving the city international recognition for its homelessness work.
Connects Norman to a global peer network of cities that have successfully ended homelessness using SDG 11, including cities in Finland, Canada, and the Netherlands.
Signals to national funders that Norman is aligned with international best practice, and strengthens the systems-change narrative that Oklahoma funders respond to.
Adoption requires only a City Council resolution — no cost, all benefit.
Accountability & Key Performance Indicators
Call to Action
"Your GOODNESS is Powerful.
Our GOODNESS achieves the IMPOSSIBLE."