Norman City Council Votes to Extend Overnight Shelter Contract Amidst Heat Wave

An overnight shelter in Norman will remain open, for now, after Normans City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend their contract until September.  

The shelter, called A Friends House in Norman, opened back in November after the controversial closing of the warning shelter, but on the hottest day of the year so far—they were in danger of having to close their doors too. 

This would have been devastating for unhoused people in the community during this week's heat wave.

"For people to be able to get inside and have a cool, safe to be and have access to

water could be life saving," April Doshier, director of A Friend's House, said.

She says it will continue to be that place following Tuesday's Norman City Council meeting.

"We will be full tonight," Doshier said. "We will squeeze people in due to the emergency with the weather and we will hopefully be able to keep people safe."

The council voted to move the shelter to a month-to-month contract that renews automatically.

"So, what it means to us is a little more stability," Doshier said.

She said it's exactly what they needed and it shows their hard work is noticed.

"What it tells us is that the City Council understands the importance of this work, but they also understand that closing a shelter down doesn't make Norman better at all," Doshier said.

Doshier said homeless services are essential, but often misunderstood.

"There's this idea that people who are homeless choose to be outside," she said. "We've been able to show them through our work here that that is a myth."

Doshier said A Friends House has helped over three dozen people out of homelessness and into permanent housing, and now they can help even more.