Mission Norman Using Temporary Housing To Help Homeless Families

Several metro homeless families with young children got the keys to their very own places on Thursday.

All the families are led by single mothers desperately trying to get back on their feet. They have been bouncing from couch to couch of friends and relatives, but that changed Thursday thanks to Mission Norman.

Mission Norman, a faith-based non-profit organization, just completed four apartments that will be temporary housing while the families get back on their feet.

Tapita and her four children could not stop smiling as they saw their new home.

"I'm very excited, I'm grateful to God, grateful to such people like this,” said Tapita.

Several setbacks left Tapita and her children all sharing one bedroom at a friend's home.

“It's really a blessing to have a place, a roof over your head, a place to stay,”

Another family of five is already mapping out who gets which room. Deana and her children have been bouncing around from shelters to friends' houses.

“I feel like there is hope,” said Deana. “For a long time I was asking God to open the door and He finally has opened a door for us.”

Each family can live there for at least six months up to a year while they find a job and stability. It immediately helps the families and allows the kids to thrive down the road.

“Lives can be changed. They'll become productive citizens and who knows, one of these that moved in today may be President of the United States one day,” said Gene Barnes with Mission Norman.

Cleveland County has about 100 homeless families. The hope is to get these families back on track and on their way so more homeless families can move in to the apartments.

All the families pay a small portion of money each month into a savings account and then take all that money with them when they get back on their feet and leave.

Mission Norman has plans to build four more of 4-plex buildings and a new resource center. 

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