One-time school and church to become housing for homeless families

The City Planning Commission is supporting a proposal that would convert an old school in south central Lawton to a residential facility for the homeless.

But, adjacent property owners aren’t happy with the plan, with one circulating a petition against it.

Quest of Oklahoma, doing business as MIGHT Community Development and Resource Center, submitted a Use Permitted On Review (UPOR) application that would allow it to transform the old 19,000-square-foot Roosevelt Elementary School at 1502 SW I to housing and resource offices for 10 homeless families. The lot already holds a P-F Public Facilities District zoning dating to its days as an elementary school, before it became the Ingesia Pastoreanos Espiritu Santo Bilinqual Church after the school closed.

UPOR is a zoning process that allows a use in a zoning district as long as the City Planning Commission and the City Council approve it. Commissioners gave unanimous approval last week; its recommendation now goes to the City Council.

City planner Kameron Good said the school/church is to be remodeled for use by the homeless and near homeless, with a site plan from Quest of Oklahoma designating Phase I as that housing and resource support offices. Phase II also is mentioned, work that would include construction of a tiny home campus for additional housing (Phase II would have to come back to the commission as a separate request at a future time, Good said).

The facility in the old Roosevelt School would be similar to one that MIGHT just opened at the former Country Club Heights Elementary School in southwest Lawton, a dorm-style residential facility for young males that is almost full, said Kirsten Sellens, speaking for MIGHT.

Sellens said the Roosevelt facility is designed to be temporary family living quarters, along with offices to house resource/service facilities to help those families address needs such as jobs, securing identification and medications, “resources for those homeless or near homeless.”

The facility would feature 10 living areas: three with one living quarter, six with two living quarters, and one respite care room. Sellens said the goal is to provide housing for families for three to six months, before they transition to permanent housing. The tiny home community being proposed would provide housing for up to a year, but “that is in the future,” she said.

Chandra Barnett, with Marie Detty Youth and Family Services, lauded the idea and future plans for a tiny home community, urging commissioners to speak to entities that already provide such housing.

“Look at the impact, the positive impact, they have made,” Barnett said.

Commissioner Allan Smith said he grew up in the area and attended Roosevelt Elementary as a child, adding he is excited about MIGHT’s potential impact on what had become a deteriorating area. Smith said he has seen what MIGHT built for teen-age males at Country Club Heights and was impressed.

“I’ve seen the product they put out, and in the end, it’s a good product,” he said.

Wayne Harrison, who owns multiple properties in the area, agreed, calling the proposed shelter “the best thing to happen in that area in a while.”

But residents — especially those adjacent to the old school — say they are concerned about the effects the shelter will have, with many of the arguments mirroring property and safety concerns cited by residents who opposed the Country Club Heights project.

Sharon Shroades, who lives across from the school, initiated a petition of opposition that has at least 80 signatures, including people who live near the facility and others who have concerns about the project.

Shroades said the neighborhood has been gradually improving, under action to remove dilapidated structures, and she hopes that will continue. But, she also has deep concerns about the homeless facility being placed in the old school, saying “I have nightmares about that.” Shroades said she was told the property was sold for $400,000, significantly more than it was worth and significantly more than former elementary schools of similar size and lot size. She asked why officials couldn’t take the money they spent on purchase and renovation and help homeless people pay for housing.

In addition to having questions about Quest of Oklahoma/MIGHT, Shroades said she and others oppose the tiny home concept.

“People really flipped out on that,” she said.

Judy O’Dell said she and her granddaughter have concerns about safety, given the fact a high number of single women live in the area.

Delores Gann, who owns property originally purchased by her parents near the Family Promise facility on Southwest 17th Street, said she knows people there who have had encounters with the youth living in the facility. Gann said while she initially was concerned about similar plans for Roosevelt Elementary, listening to the explanation of what will actually happen there eased her mind.

“I’m all for it,” she said.