The City of Norman has received a $1 million federal grant aimed at addressing housing affordability issues. The grant comes from the Pathways to Removing Obstacles in Housing (PRO Housing) program, which has also supported cities like San Francisco and Austin, as per the City of Norman website.
Announced by the White House on January 14, the funds are designed to help cities overcome local housing challenges. The City of Norman plans to use the money to improve its regulatory and planning processes to encourage the development of affordable housing.
Norman’s Planning & Community Development staff developed a plan that aligns with the PRO Housing grant requirements. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this plan will focus on updating state and local housing plans, revising land use policies, and streamlining the permitting process.
In addition to the federal grant, the City of Norman is contributing $200,000 to support the affordable housing efforts. Part of the city’s plan includes creating a Neighborhood Pattern Book for housing designs, to support infill construction on smaller lots. Jane Hudson, Norman’s Planning & Community Development Director, said, "It is possible the updates to the regulations will help simplify the development process and promote the types of affordable, attainable housing that we would like to see in our city."
The City of Norman also plans to conduct a parking study to adjust parking requirements to better match the city's needs. Additionally, it will develop an Affordable Housing Action Plan to foster partnerships and ensure sustainable funding for future housing projects.
