Work Begins on Housing, Homelessness & Mental Health Task Force
The City of Tulsa’s Housing, Homelessness & Mental Health Task Force held its first meeting this week to understand the root causes of...
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Housing, Homelessness & Mental Health Task Force
Mission: For the City of Tulsa to understand the needs of the community in addressing homelessness at the intersection of housing and mental health and create a strategy for the City to best utilize its policy and legislative powers, public convening and education platforms, and financial resources to maximize its efficiency and effectiveness in contributing to broader community solutions.
If you have questions or feedback, please email housing@cityoftulsa.org
Task Force Meetings
Meeting information will be updated as they occur.
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January 30 - Supportive Services
The task force received a series of presentations from community organizations who provide services directly related to the root causes of homelessness. Organizations explained how their mission and work impact the root causes of homelessness, described service delivery barriers they encounter, provided suggestions on how the city can address these barriers, and identified examples of best practices in other communities.
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January 25 - Review of Existing Strategies
The task force reviewed existing strategies and official community plans developed to address housing, homelessness, and mental health. Presentations included an overview of the plans, objectives accomplished, and identified barriers to implementation. Full plans and video overview presentations can be found in the links below.
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To watch a video of the presentations, click here.
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To download the presentation documents, click here.
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Click these links to review the full plans: A Way Home for Tulsa (AWH4T) Strategic Plan, City of Tulsa Affordable Housing Strategy, and 10-Year Plan for Improving Mental Health and Wellness.
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January 18 - Understanding Homelessness and Root Causes
Task force members engaged with community partners to understand the root causes of homelessness in Tulsa. Every year, the A Way Home For Tulsa (AWH4T) team leads the Tulsa Point-in-Time (PiT) count, a count mandated from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. In 2022, the total count was 1,063 individuals in Tulsa County. PiT data shows the leading causes of homelessness include relationship breakdown, loss of income, job loss, mental health, eviction, COVID-19 pandemic, substance use, domestic violence, and criminal justice involvement
After receiving an overview of the PiT Count and root causes, task force members then spoke with community outreach experts, who interact with the homeless population on a daily basis, about their experiences and possible solutions to address root causes of homelessness.
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To watch a video of the presentation, click here.
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Task Force News
Task Force Membership
Mayor G.T. Bynum
Councilor Crista Patrick, District 3
Councilor Jeannie Cue, District 2
Councilor Lori Decter Wright, District 7
Councilor Phil Lakin, District 8
Deputy Mayor Cassia Carr
James Wagner: Working in Neighborhoods Director
Travis Hulse: City of Tulsa Housing Policy Director
Becky Gligo: Housing Solutions Executive Director & CoC Lead Agency
Michael Junk: QuikTrip Manager of Public & Government Affairs
Zack Stoycoff: Healthy Minds Executive Director
Task Force Staff
Blake Ewing: Mayor’s Office Chief of Staff
Sarah Davis: Deputy Council Administrator
Casey Clark: Council Aide
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