Historic Progress: Safe Move Tulsa Closes Three Encampments, Secures Housing Placements in Record Time
- Tulsa City Council
- 10 hours ago
- 5 min read
Second, Third Encampments Closed This Week; 30 More People Now Have Homes
The City of Tulsa, Housing Solutions, and partners of the Safe Move Tulsa initiative today announced major progress in Tulsa's comprehensive strategy to end street homelessness and street sleeping.
Since launching just a month and a half ago, Safe Move Tulsa has coordinated the closure of three encampment sites across the city, resulting in 55 Tulsans receiving housing in record time - the last 30 of whom were housed in 30 days or less.
While wait times for housing have historically exceeded 220 days for those on A Way Home for Tulsa (AWH4T) wait list, the ability to house individuals in under 30 days has amazed local leaders and service providers.
"What was once thought impossible is being made possible because an entire city is rallying around one goal: to end homelessness in Tulsa," Mayor Nichols said. "I can't speak highly enough of the historic work that's happening right now in our community - all because this generation of leaders in both the public and private sectors put their heads together to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons. This plan is working, it's coming together, and it will take time and continued investment if we want to continue to see this kind of progress and these kinds of resolutions."
Over the summer, City officials and Tulsa City Councilors identified funding for Safe Move Tulsa, which includes a targeted focus on encampments with an initial strategy to house 300 people in the next nine months. The initiative was started based on community needs and 3H Task Force recommendations to shift Tulsa's encampment response from a splintered approach to one that is proactive and focused on long-term outcomes.
Encampments formally closed today include one behind Lowe's and Staples off of 71st Street and Highway 169, in addition to an encampment off of E. 4th Street and 129th E. Avenue.
A Historic Shift in Tulsa's Approach
According to the latest Tulsa Point in Time Count, 34% of the 1,449 individuals experiencing homelessness were living unsheltered. Unsheltered homelessness can range from short-term street sleeping to longer-term encampment living.
For years, encampments across Tulsa were cleared without a coordinated process. Without long-term housing options for the individuals living there, individuals repeatedly moved across the city and formed new encampments. The clearings also lacked a long-term strategy to prevent re-encampment.
Safe Move Tulsa has fundamentally changed this approach. Outreach teams now work on an expedited timeline to navigate documentation needs and identify housing placements before any closure occurs. And law enforcement, private property owners, and other stakeholders ensure the site is restored and closed to future camping.
This coordinated effort has already produced historic outcomes that include:
55 individuals moved from street sleeping into housing
Housing placements achieved in 30 days or less, compared to a typical 220-day wait
Ongoing case management for individuals post-closure
Long-term closure and restoration of each site to its intended use
"Housing Solutions is proud to be a leading partner driving the housing outcomes at the core of the Safe Move Process," said Mark Smith, CEO of Housing Solutions. "Together, our community has proven that when we align resources, partnerships, and capacity, we can get the job done. Now, we're able to move faster and at scale - connecting people to stable housing and the specialized services they need to rebuild their lives."
Encampment Outcomes
Eagle's Nest (Just south of the River Spirit Casino)
The first encampment enclosure under the Safe Move Tulsa strategy occurred just over a month ago at a site known as Eagle's Nest - an area that serves as a designated eagle preserve. Outreach teams worked at the site for five months to house 13 individuals since late spring of
2025. To expedite that process further, Safe Move Tulsa was formally introduced and allowed teams to speed up their process and connect an additional 12 individuals to housing in four weeks.
Ultimately:
25 individuals were housed.
The site was cleaned (61.1 tons of trash/debris collected) and fully restored to its intended purpose.
And since the closure, no long-term camping or street sleeping has returned due to consistent monitoring.
71st & U.S. 169 (Behind Lowe's and Staples) - New Closure
This long-standing encampment - once home to nearly 100 people a few years ago - was
identified as a priority site under Safe Move Tulsa. From Dec. 1, 2023, to Dec. 15, 2025, Tulsa Police took more than 100 calls about the area, and the Tulsa Fire Department responded to the area more than 250 times.
While occupancy has dwindled, a few long-term encampments have remained. The site is home to two parcels of land - one of which is owned by the City (closer to the highway), and the other of which is privately owned and is being primed for redevelopment.
Three long-term residents now have homes along with case management support through YWCA Tulsa.
Two individuals voluntarily left the encampment without engaging with outreach's attempts to provide services, but were provided information and resources about their pathway out of homelessness.
Now vacated, the City will clean the portion of the property it owns, and the private property owner will do the same for their portion.
No-trespassing signage has been installed, and constant monitoring will be implemented to prevent long-term camping in the future.
When asked about the encampment decommissioning, District 7 City Councilor Lori Decter Wright said:
"Through the City's Safe Move Tulsa initiative, we've decommissioned this longtime encampment with a focus on safety, dignity, and outreach. Clearing the site allows us to move forward with developing The Ridge, a proposed 70-acre public-private park with trails, green space, and complementary commercial amenities put forward by Steve Easley, which will revitalize, reimagine, and reenergize this corridor to the benefit of our entire region."
Cleanup and clearing of both the private and public properties will occur over the next several months to make way for the development.
E. 4th Place and 129th E. Avenue - New Closure
Located behind the McDonald's just south of I-44, this encampment is located entirely on private land. The encampment has been home to many individuals for several years.
27 individuals are now housed with ongoing case management provided through YWCA Tulsa. Only three left the encampment without engaging outreach's attempts to provide services, but were provided information and resources on their pathway out of homelessness.
This is in addition to 12 dogs and six cats that are also housed and have received veterinary assistance from Tulsa Animal Services.
Now vacated, the private property owner will clean the rest of their property, with removal and restoration now underway.
Constant monitoring will be implemented to prevent long-term camping in the future.
Information & Results
The most updated information and results from Safe Move Tulsa can be found online at: www.cityoftulsa.org/SafeMove.
ABOUT SAFE MOVE TULSA:
Safe Move Tulsa is Tulsa's comprehensive strategy and roadmap to end street homelessness by pairing intensive outreach, housing placements, and coordinated encampment closures. The initiative is supported by the City of Tulsa, Housing Solutions, the A Way Home for Tulsa (AWH4T) continuum of care, private philanthropy (including generous donations from the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation) and the Tulsa Leadership Council - a coalition of business and community leaders. The initiative is ultimately a strategy committed to ending homelessness and restoring public and private sites to their intended use.
