OKPOLICY.ORG
Background: On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the Oklahoma State Senate passed Senate Bill 484, by Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. SB 484 now advances to the House. SB 484 would prohibit any Oklahoma city with a population less than 300,000 from building a homeless shelter within 3,000 feet of a school. The following is a fact check of statements made during the debate.
Statement: Oklahoma City and Tulsa get all the money in the state to deal with homelessness, so they should be responsible for providing all the homeless services in the state.
Fact: Cities throughout the state, not just Oklahoma City and Tulsa, get funding for homeless services relative to their population and level of community need. There are eight Continuums of Care – a local planning body that coordinates homeless services – in Oklahoma that all receive federal funding. Shelters in Oklahoma City and Tulsa are at capacity and cannot adequately take care of the state’s population of people experiencing homelessness.
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Statement: SB 484 would not result in people experiencing homelessness being transported from their communities to Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Fact: The measure is intended to transport people experiencing homelessness from their communities to the only cities the measure would effectively allow to have homeless shelters. The bill’s author spoke to the Norman Transcript in January 2025: “Standridge said those in the smaller towns, such as Norman, should find a way to transport their homeless to either Oklahoma City or Tulsa, which, under the proposed law, would have the only city-funded homeless services allowed in the state.”
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Statement: SB 484 isn’t a ban, it’s just a spacing bill to create a buffer between schools and homeless shelters.
Fact: SB 484 would upend shelters and care for people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma. SB 484 would prohibit any Oklahoma city with a population less than 300,000 – all cities except Oklahoma City and Tulsa – from building a homeless shelter within 3,000 feet (more than half a mile) of any school. This would effectively restrict homeless shelters to the furthest outskirts of town, far from the services that people experiencing homelessness need to get back on their feet. This is more restrictive than the ban on sex offenders near schools, which is 2,000 feet. SB 484 would have essentially the same effect as a ban on homeless shelters.
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Statement: Homeless shelters are handing out drug paraphernalia.
Fact: It is false to say that homeless shelters themselves are handing out “drug paraphernalia.” Harm reduction nonprofits, which help facilitate legal needle exchange programs, sometimes work alongside shelters because their target audiences can overlap. Harm reduction programs are proven public health tools that reduce the spread of infectious disease, help reduce drug dependency and overdose deaths, support safe recovery, and provide for the safe disposal of used syringes and sharp waste. The state passed a 2021 law that authorizes government entities, religious institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, nongovernmental entities partnering with a government agency and tribal governments to engage in harm-reduction services as long as no state dollars are used.
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Statement: SB 484 is needed to protect Oklahoma children from people experiencing homelessness.
Fact: There is no evidence that people who are experiencing homelessness create an elevated threat to children or others. Further, SB 484 would harm children and parents experiencing homelessness. In the 2022-2023 school year, more than 23,000 Oklahoma students were homeless or couch surfing, the most recent year for which data is available. This is roughly equivalent to enrollment in Moore Public Schools during the same time period. Rising housing costs and eviction rates mean this number is now likely higher. These children and their families rely on homeless shelters to keep them safe. Homeless shelters near schools ensure children experiencing homelessness are better able to attend school.
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Statement: Churches are best equipped to handle homelessness.
Fact: Churches are not homes; they do not have the resources or trained professionals necessary to address the complex needs of people experiencing homelessness and get people into safe, stable housing. Government ensures homeless services are accessible to all Oklahomans who need help regardless of how they worship. Churches help fill gaps, but they should not bear the burden of providing essential public services that governments should deliver.
