City of Lawton looking at plan to assume homeless camp site

Members of the City Council’s Homeless Action Committee want to look at the idea of securing property in south Lawton now functioning as a tent city for the homeless.

Elected officials on the board — Ward 7 Councilwoman Sherene L. Williams, Ward 6 Councilman Bob Weger, Ward 5 Councilman Allan Hampton and Mayor Stan Booker — voted to recommend that City Manager John Ratliff look at “legal options” to take ownership of the property located to the north of the Salvation Army complex on Southwest E Avenue, at Southwest 13th Street. City officials said the Lawton Salvation Army’s board already has given its permission to give the tract to the City of Lawton.

That site has been functioning as a tent city for the homeless since the Salvation Army removed the encampment from the south side of its complex. Capt. Bryan Brinlee confirmed that his organization directed the removal of the outdoor encampment that had been functioning for months, as the City of Lawton began imposing a new ordinance that makes camping in public places such as city parks illegal. The Salvation Army removed that encampment March 8, but had not said why until asked this week by Homeless Action Committee members.

Brinlee said his organization cannot operate a tent city because of long-term liability issues, the reason it ended the ability of homeless people to camp on the south side of the Salvation Army campus while the organization works toward completion of an indoor residential and help facility.

“We’re going to have to move forward in some way,” Brinlee said, of plans to craft a plan and facilities to address the high number of homeless in the community.

While Brinlee did not direct those who now are camping to the site across the street, homeless residents have been able to use the site without liability because they were not told to go there.

Booker asked whether the City of Lawton could help the Salvation Army in its stated goal to serve 320 homeless people in 2025, if city officials could identify a site for a tent city. Brinlee said yes, noting the statistics he has been keeping on those being served this year show a high number of successes. He said he has people living in the encampment who haven’t been in jail since December, people who are willing to work to change their circumstances. Brinlee said the allure of a tent city is that it gives a homeless person a sense of his own space, versus sharing space with people in an indoor shelter.

Brinlee said what he’d like to see is “someone to take over that property across the street,” which is something Booker and council members said they may be willing to do. Booker said that would mean exploring the idea of creating a trust or authority to assume the operational role, which is the recommendation the committee will make to the full council.

“We need to direct the city manager to recommend to the council to create a limited liability entity,” he said.

Brinlee said the site is large enough to house 40 to 50 people, and committee members said they like its proximity to the Salvation Army, as that entity works toward creating indoor housing and programs to get people off the street.

City officials said in mid-March they are exploring options, including creating a non-profit entity and evaluating locations for a designated homeless encampment. In addition, Quest of Oklahoma, doing business as MIGHT Community Development and Resource Center, is pursuing a plan to renovate the old Roosevelt Elementary School at 1502 SW I into housing and resources for 10 homeless families.