Norman Voters Approve $8M Bond for Permanent Homeless Shelter, Elect Trey Kirby in Ward 5

The bond measure passed with 54.25% support, while Kirby defeated Dianna Hutzel in the Ward 5 City Council race.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 1:50am

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A fractured, abstract painting depicting a shopping cart in motion, with overlapping geometric shapes and waves of earthy green, ochre, and grey tones, conveying a sense of instability and movement associated with homelessness.The passage of an $8 million bond to build a permanent homeless shelter in Norman reflects the city's growing commitment to addressing its homelessness crisis.Norman Today

In Norman's April 7, 2026 election, voters approved an $8 million bond to build the city's first-ever permanent homeless shelter. The measure passed with 54.25% support. Voters also elected Trey Kirby to the Norman City Council's Ward 5 seat, defeating Dianna Hutzel. The election saw the passage of several other city propositions, including the renewal of a long-term bond package for streets and an increase to the city's guest tax.

Why it matters

The approval of the permanent homeless shelter is a significant step for Norman, which has seen its homeless population increase in recent years. The new facility will be able to house up to 120 people overnight, a major expansion from the city's current temporary shelter. The Ward 5 City Council race also drew attention for the controversy surrounding Hutzel's campaign finance disclosures.

The details

The $8 million bond to build the permanent homeless shelter passed with 54.25% of the vote, with 9,454 votes in favor and 7,973 against. The new facility will be located on land purchased by the city along Reed Avenue, south of Griffin Memorial Hospital, and will be able to house up to 120 people overnight. Norman's current temporary shelter operated by City Care can only house about 50 people. In the Ward 5 City Council race, Trey Kirby defeated Dianna Hutzel with 53.66% of the vote, earning 1,644 votes to Hutzel's 1,420. Kirby, a facilities manager and the proprietor of Kirby Land and Cattle, campaigned on issues like improving Norman's water quality and protecting the city's watershed, as well as opposing the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's ACCESS Oklahoma project.

  • The election took place on April 7, 2026.
  • The 2026 point-in-time count of Norman's homeless population has taken place, but its results have yet to be tabulated and released.
  • The increase to Norman's guest tax, from 8% to 10%, will take effect on July 1.

The players

Trey Kirby

The newly elected Norman City Council member for Ward 5, who owns a facilities management and cattle company.

Dianna Hutzel

The unsuccessful candidate for the Norman City Council's Ward 5 seat, who faced some controversy over her campaign finance disclosures.

Stephen Tyler Holman

The Mayor of Norman, who discussed the need and plans for the new permanent homeless shelter.

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority

The state agency that is planning the ACCESS Oklahoma project, which would build a turnpike through Ward 5, and which both Kirby and Hutzel opposed.

City Care

The organization that currently operates Norman's temporary homeless shelter, which can house about 50 people.

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What they’re saying

“We estimate probably about $1 million (annually) or so with the expanded shelter. It's not anticipated that it will be a 24/7 operation. It will be more of an overnight shelter. And then, during the day, there is office space for staff. But Food and Shelter for Friends next door is more of a day center. That's where the breakfast and lunch would be, and potentially dinner as well. So in the end, it will fill a huge need, increase capacity, and it will still be less than 1 percent out of our entire General Fund budget.”

— Stephen Tyler Holman, Mayor of Norman

“I did not put it out on Facebook because that is really an entertainment venue. It's not an official venue, and so that's why. As for the donations and everything that I've received, I view that as support. That does not, in any way, shape or form, though, mean that those individuals have any more say than anyone else does in what I do.”

— Dianna Hutzel, Unsuccessful Candidate for Norman City Council Ward 5

“People move out to the country and they've been out here for 60 years, and then all of a sudden we let these companies just come up and build right on their front door, and there's nothing they can do about it, because we don't have policies in place making it not OK.”

— Trey Kirby, Newly Elected Norman City Council Member for Ward 5

What’s next

The 2026 point-in-time count of Norman's homeless population has taken place, but its results have yet to be tabulated and released. Once those results are available, the city will have a clearer picture of the scope of the homelessness issue it is seeking to address with the new permanent shelter.

The takeaway

The approval of the $8 million bond for a permanent homeless shelter in Norman represents a significant investment in addressing the city's growing homelessness crisis. The election also saw the victory of Trey Kirby in the Ward 5 City Council race, who campaigned on issues like protecting the city's water quality and opposing the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's development plans. The election results demonstrate Norman voters' priorities around social services, infrastructure, and responsible development.