Tulsa Leaders Discuss Rehousing Plan, Safe Move Tulsa Initiative, as City Prioritizes Homelessness

Safe Move Tulsa Initiative, the City's Decommissioning Program, to be Introduced in Fall 2025 Alongside Rehousing Plan

Safe Move Tulsa Initiative

Earlier today, City leaders and members of the Tulsa City Council discussed the potential for a new Rehousing Program and the launch of the City's new Safe Move Tulsa Initiative - both of which are key components of ongoing plans to achieve functional zero homelessness by 2030, which means homelessness in Tulsa is rare, brief and nonrecurring by that time.

The discussion took place during the Council's 2:30 p.m. Public Works Committee Meeting at Tulsa City Hall, where City leaders and Councilors discussed unlocking nearly $4,367,700 from the Walmart Opioid Settlement SubFund and Pandemic Relief Recovery Fund to potentially go toward a comprehensive Rehousing Plan to assist individuals with health care services, mental health assistance, addiction services, financial literacy services, rental assistance, and other wrap around supports.

If approved later this month (at the August 20 Council meeting), the monies would be accompanied by additional ARPA dollars totaling a $6 million investment in the Rehousing Plan and Safe Move Initiative. Once launched, ~300 individuals will be on an individualized Rehousing Plan that provides support services for up to one year in the next nine months.

“This announcement is a major step toward the goal of achieving functional zero homelessness, and this administration understands the severity of the issue and is acting aggressively,” Mayor Nichols said. “This effort is based on best practice from across the country and is expected to cut the known unhoused and unsheltered population by 60%. We are focused on comprehensive solutions grounded in compassion for those experiencing homelessness and focused on ending homelessness as we know it in Tulsa.”

Tulsa leaders continue to prioritize homelessness as identified by the Mayor/Council goals, 3H Taskforce and Path to Home Strategy, and Mayor Nichols' priorities. The Rehousing Plan is expected to be launched alongside the City's Safe Move Tulsa Initiative - the City's formal decommissioning plan expected to kick off this fall. Safe Move Tulsa, which will focus on coordinated outreach combined with supportive services and site restoration, will ultimately feed into the Rehousing Plan to get more people off of the streets and into housing.

"A City Council homeless and housing working group met with the Mayor and his team about possibly amending the budget to rapidly house ~300 homeless households," Council Chair Phil Lakin, Jr. said. "Many of these residents have spent extended periods of time in shelters, which is flawed and expensive.  Moving them into apartments is more ideal and will free up shelter space, so others don’t have to live on the streets."

"While I can’t speak for the other councilors, I think their general attitude is positive," Lakin added. "Over a thousand Tulsans are homeless, many needing mental health and addiction services. Resources and housing units are available now.  For our collective community’s benefit, which has endured so very much, we must take this next step along the housing pathway by moving people from permanently closed encampments into shelters, and then from shelters into temporary and/or long-term housing."

According to the latest Point in Time (PIT) Count, on any given day in the city of Tulsa, 1,449 individuals identify as homeless, meaning individuals are living on the street or staying in the shelter.

Other staggering statistics include:

• 953 individuals/families experiencing homelessness are in shelters that are past capacity

• 496 unsheltered individuals identified as chronically homeless and not utilizing a shelter bed due to capacity

• 120 individuals are utilizing a shelter bed at a shelter and have employment but are awaiting permanent housing placement

• Lack of affordable housing remains the number one barrier to rehousing

• A housing placement remains a top need for homeless individuals

Based on current data, the City of Tulsa's strategy is to provide an individualized Rehousing Plan for those immediately ready for permanent housing so shelter beds can open for those identifying as chronically homeless and in need of supportive services.

As part of the Rehousing Plan, Housing Solutions Tulsa, the City's lead partner agency for homelessness, and other A Way Home for Tulsa partners will be working to house individuals at identified locations and provide individualized support services within a 12-month period of time.

"We are excited that the City is considering this much-needed expansion of rehousing assistance and supportive services," said Mark Smith, CEO for Housing Solutions Tulsa. "Every day, the partners of A Way Home for Tulsa are helping people experiencing homelessness to reenter housing. These funds are critically needed to relieve bottlenecks to rehousing that leaves hundreds of people waiting for assistance and also providing the resources they need to remain housed permanently."

In addition to the need for rehousing is the need for a coordinated and successful decommissioning plan. The City of Tulsa's decommissioning of homeless encampments has been on hold as temporary housing as it stands today is not available and shelters are at capacity. Full decommissioning cannot occur when individuals have no options for a path to permanent housing. With the Rehousing Plan, individuals needing permanent housing who are currently sleeping in shelter beds and unsheltered individuals can be moved to permanent housing, freeing shelter beds for those who are unhoused, and the Safe Move Tulsa Initiative can begin.

Over the past year, the City of Tulsa has been developing the Safe Move Tulsa Initiative, which will serve as a compassionate, cohesive and coordinated safe move strategy with partners that support individuals experiencing homelessness. This initiative was also a recommendation of the 3H Taskforce's Path to Home Strategy.

The Rehousing Plan, which is a part of the Safe Move Tulsa Initiative, is expected to begin in September of this year. An announcement will occur prior to this work to share the processes and partners in place to help with these programs.  

The City of Tulsa has also been working to identify a location for a true low barrier shelter and winter inclement weather shelter, and has been working to advance affordable housing, including the fast-track permitting program and the anticipated pre-reviewed plans, which serve as housing blueprints that have already cleared the permitting process.

While the Transitional Living Facility (Residential Care Center) is still under construction and a completion date is forthcoming, officials will discuss the commitment to Safe Move Tulsa Initiative and Rehousing Plan. Once construction by the private developer of the living facility is complete, the facility is zoned as housing and will have 59 units that will be utilized for deeply affordable housing - still meeting the City's crucial goals of increasing affordable housing.

For more information about the Mayor's goals and actions on housing and homelessness, visit: www.cityoftulsa.org/mayor 

For more information on the 3H Task Force and its Path to Home Recommendations, visit: https://www.tulsacouncil.org/3htaskforce