Nearly a year after launching, more than 650 people experiencing homelessness have been housed as part of Safe Move Tulsa, housing officials said Friday. They also announced the closing of two more encampments, bringing the total to 12. But advocates say more work needs to be done.
The $11 million initiative kicked off last November as a collaboration between the city and several local partners with a goal of rehousing 300 people in nine months. It later expanded that goal to 1,300 people by the end of 2026.
“It’s important to know that this is not mission accomplished. This is progress and signs of what we can be, what we’re capable of doing, where we really all invest and deliver together as a community,” said Mark Smith, CEO of Housing Solutions, a homelessness agency that is part of Safe Move Tulsa.
In June, the city announced it had rehoused 213 people in less than two months, bumping its yearly total to 360.
Housing advocates credited the sharp increase to its rapid exit strategy program, which assists with security deposits, transportation or limited financial assistance for people on the brink of chronic homelessness.
Part of the Safe Move mindset rejects the idea that simply moving someone into a shelter fixes the underlying issue of homelessness, according to Housing Solutions. Instead, its network of partners, which includes the Tulsa Day Center, Salvation Army, GRAND Mental Health and others, identifies a housing barrier for a person and connects them with the necessary resources.
When presented with new data, partners became increasingly confident on the ability of rehousing 1,300 people, Smith said. That total is only about a third of people who newly experience homelessness in the area every year, he added.
“We knew that there were a lot of people who were falling into homelessness every year, (and) that with some more intentional resources, we could start to see some faster results and positive impact for them,” he said.
According to Housing Solutions, the city’s main causes of homelessness is lack of affordable housing, loss of income, mental health challenges, job loss and substance use.
Although some people need intensive assistance, the nonprofit has found most people in shelters can return to housing with steady support and long-term flexible planning.
Its annual Point in Time Count survey conducted in January found 1,443 people were experiencing homelessness this year compared to 1,449 last year. It marked the first time in five years the amount of homeless people in Tulsa did not increase.
Safe Move is part of Mayor Monroe Nichols’ larger plan to achieve functional zero homelessness by 2030 — which Smith thinks is possible if Tulsa continues to invest in a better future.
“When we continue to invest and we continue to come together, there’s really not a ceiling on what we can do here in Tulsa,” he said. “I think that is a really achievable goal if we continue to invest and stay the course.”
As for what’s next, Smith told The Eagle this is just the first phase of building the foundation of a more productive homeless response system. The ultimate goal of eliminating street sleeping, he said, won’t be achieved solely through Safe Move.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
