Ending Homelessness

In 2022, more than 5,000 Tulsans occupied emergency shelters, safe havens, transitional housing, and street outreach programs. During that time, nearly two-thirds of them were experiencing homelessness for the first time. Since 2021, homelessness has grown by 8.6%, outpacing our overall population growth. Almost 1,000 Tulsa Public School students qualify as homeless, 3,000 students have had their families evicted over the last three and a half years, and 70% of Tulsans view homeless encampments as a threat to public safety. This issue impacts every aspect of life in our community and various City departments are already playing a vital role in combatting this issue in Tulsa. But we must do more if we want to realize the changes we want to see.

To help us address these challenges, Emily Hall has joined the team as our Senior Advisor of Homelessness. With Emily’s help, we will put Tulsa on a path of achieving zero-functional homelessness by 2030.

Major Goals

• Achieve zero-functional homelessness by 2030
• Reduce blighted properties by 60% and increase affordable housing units by 6,000 by 2028
• Reduce Tulsa’s eviction rate
• Ensure Tulsa has adequate low-barrier shelter capacity
• Create a citywide system of mental and substance abuse supports