The programs and initiatives within justice and human rights include supports for Tulsans involved in the justice system, human rights complaints investigations, Davis Bacon Fair Wage Compliance, fair housing education and advocacy, ADA compliance, and 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion efforts.
As part of Resilient Tulsa’s actions to support justice-involved Tulsans, the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Equity has convened representatives like second chance employers, nonprofit staff, City agency staff and formerly incarcerated Tulsans to diagnose the challenges of maneuvering and finding services to support those involved with the justice system as well as explore the policies and programs that could make a positive difference for individuals and communities impacted by over-incarceration.
The overall aims of resilience actions to support justice-involved Tulsans include:
For more information about Tulsa’s Ban the Box efforts, click here.
Oklahoma has one of the highest incarceration rates for men and women per capita in the country. Many who were incarcerated find it hard to re-integrate, secure a job, and find stable housing. The problem stems in part from incarcerated individuals not knowing all the services available to them, and not finding the proper care for their mental health needs.
One goal of the Resilient Tulsa strategy is to highlight and provide adequate communication of these available services, programs and initiatives to anyone facing mental illness, those currently in the legal system and those previously incarcerated.
These programs and services are changing lives for the good, creating healthier and more productive Tulsans. For more information on programs and services, click here.
All people within the City of Tulsa have the right to non-discriminatory housing, City services, and access to public accommodations. Title V of the City of Tulsa’s Revised Ordinances outlines various policies, definitions, and prohibited acts related to human rights, as well as establishes a Human Rights Commission to promote non-discrimination in the City of Tulsa.
For more information on how to file a Human Rights Discrimination Complaint, click here.
The City of Tulsa believes in housing equity for all renters and homebuyers in Tulsa. Everyone has the right to fair and equal treatment when it comes to most housing. Knowing and abiding by fair housing laws promotes a more inclusive and equitable housing landscape for all Tulsans.
The City of Tulsa Compliance Officer is part of the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Equity (MORE) and is charged with promoting enforcement and compliance of many federal, state, and local laws including fair housing laws. These are the laws put in place to ensure protection from discrimination for renters and homebuyers; this includes individuals with disabilities and those who live or are associated with them.
Individuals with disabilities have the right to request reasonable accommodations (i.e. changes in housing structures, policies, practices, programs, and services) as necessary for equal use and enjoyment of housing opportunities. This could include, but is not limited to, allowing service animals, providing parking spaces closer to units, and changing rent due dates. Housing providers are required to provide requested accommodations up to the point at which doing so would create an unreasonable financial and administrative burden or would fundamentally alter a program.
The MORE division uses two primary approaches to accomplish the objectives of City ordinances: proactive efforts and enforcement actions. A proactive approach to implementing the city ordinances involves community engagement activities that encourage community involvement, support and awareness of human and civil rights laws and programs. The MORE division coordinates and participates in various community engagements, meetings and seminars.
The MORE Division collaborates with the Tulsa Human Rights Commission (HRC), the HRC Fair Housing Committee, the Tulsa Fair Housing Partnership and other non-profit organizations to conduct outreach and educational events related to fair housing. MORE also works with City of Tulsa departments to ensure equal access to government services in all areas of the city.
Through investigations and enforcement actions the Compliance Officer ensures City ordinances are not being violated, or if a violation does occur, to bring the offending parties back into compliance. The requirements of Title 5 of the Tulsa Revised
Ordinances are carried out through the investigation of complaints received which allege discrimination in housing, employment, contracting and public accommodation. If a complaint is made, the Compliance Officer initiates an investigation reviews the facts of the case to determine whether they are following City Ordinances and other civil rights legislation prohibiting discrimination.
Although violations of ordinances can result in a monetary fine and up to prosecution, the MORE Division aims to resolve cases through mediation and conciliation agreements.
For more information and additional resources, or to report housing discrimination, Tulsa residents should contact the City of Tulsa by phone at 311 or online at https://tulsa311.com/ or contact the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 1-800-669-9777.
For information on how to file a complaint, click here.
Additional Resources:
.png)
Facebook
Twitter
Mail