Norman City Council approved an action plan during Tuesday’s regular meeting that would revitalize target neighborhoods in order to address the needs of low-to-moderate-income residents in Norman.
The Fifth-Year Action Plan was proposed as part of the 2020-24 Consolidated Plan that council approved in 2020, which is a comprehensive planning approach to address the needs for residents with low to moderate incomes, according to the meeting agenda.
The Fifth-Year Action Plan is part of the 49th-year Community Development Block Grant Program and the 2024 HOME Program, which together total $1,400,424, according to the agenda.
The plan is mirrored from the Strong Neighborhoods Initiatives in Oklahoma City, according to Lisa Krieg, a Community Development Block Grant manager, who presented the plan to council.
According to the agenda, the action plan includes a focus on revitalizing target neighborhoods. This year, the plan will target the neighborhoods Old Silk Stocking, Original Townsite and First Courthouse.
Following council’s approval, the plan will be forwarded to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for review. The program start date will be July 1.
The housing-related projects include modifications to housing rehabilitation and accessibility as well as staff support for these programs, according to the agenda. The majority of the funding for the HOME Investment Partnerships program will allow development and partnership with the Community Housing Development Organization, a private nonprofit, community-based organization.
City council also approved items on the consent docket for Tuesday’s meeting, including a resolution to reimburse repairs to city vehicles amounting to about $15,300.
During the meeting, Mayor Larry Heikkila also made several proclamations including announcing the week of May 19-25 as National Travel and Tourism Week for the city and the month of May as Oklahoma Water Safety Month.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza.
