Frequently Asked Questions

Path to Home is the City of Tulsa's initiative to provide comprehensive information about the strategies, funding efforts, and resources being deployed to address homelessness at the intersection of housing and mental health. 

More resources are being deployed than ever before in Tulsa's history in a citywide effort among various partners to address this very issue. 

See the more than 50 programs, policies, staffing supports, funding commitments, and response methodologies that the City is deploying to help address homelessness, housing, and mental health online. 

Path to Home is an initiative that tracks the City's progress over time. While outcomes take time, multiple actions, programs, and resources are being deployed now and are expected to be deployed over the coming months that will ultimately contribute to reducing homelessness and increasing opportunities for all.

Various factors can lead to homelessness. Poverty, lack of affordable housing, unemployment, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and systemic issues can all play a part in contributing to homelessness. 

At last count, 1,427 people were observed to be experiencing homelessness. Tulsa's Point in Time Count, which is measured yearly, keeps track of these numbers. The latest Point in Time count was released on April 4, 2024.

The 3H Task Force is a Mayor/Council Task Force dedicated to better understanding homelessness at the intersection of housing and mental health. Ultimately, the 3H Task Force delivered its full recommendations after more than a year's worth of meetings.

Homelessness can exacerbate existing mental health issues that may be present or contribute to the development of new issues due to the stress, trauma, and lack of stability associated with living without a home. Common mental health challenges among the homeless population include depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance abuse disorders. It's important to note that these symptoms may not always be present, nor may they be related specifically to someone's housing status. 

It is important to note that mental illness and homelessness are both stigmatized conditions, and when paired together as causal, can perpetuate stigmas associated with the two. Mental health conditions, while not always present in those experiencing homelessness, can be exhibited in some individuals with symptoms including persistent sadness, hopelessness, paranoia, social withdrawal, substance abuse, self-neglect, difficulty concentrating, and a history of trauma or abuse.

Homeless individuals may face barriers such as lack of insurance, transportation, documentation, stigma, and mistrust of healthcare providers. Limited availability of medical health services may also further hinder access to receiving timely care.

While a variety of factors create conditions that drive homelessness, the lack of affordable housing remains the number one reason. Rising rents and low inventory are driving Tulsa's housing shortage. Because of this, City leaders are working to increase Tulsa's housing stock to meet demand.

There has been an increasing demand for action from city governments across the country to help increase housing stock while providing mental health resources and programming. The City of Tulsa is working to meet this demand in Tulsa, and voters agreed with this approach when they approved the latest installment of Improve Our Tulsa in August of 2023, which allowed for the allocation of more than $75 million to go toward housing and homelessness programming for the years ahead. This type of intervention from the City of Tulsa is the first of its kind in our city's history.

Common misconceptions include the belief that homelessness is solely the result of personal failures or choices, that homeless individuals are lazy or unwilling to work, and that homelessness only affects single adults. In reality, homelessness is a complex issue influenced by various systemic factors.

Increasing housing units of all price points, including affordable housing, benefits the city by providing essential workforce housing while reducing homelessness, stimulating economic growth through construction and job creation, improving public health outcomes, and reducing the strain on Tulsa's social services community.

Path to Home is a City of Tulsa-led initiative to better highlight the cumulative work in this space. Partners include the Tulsa City Council, 3H Task Force, and PartnerTulsa - the City's economic development arm. Path to Home is also made possible by Tulsa's Continuum of Care, A Way Home for Tulsa.

Homeless encampments exist in locations where groups of unsheltered people live. These encampments can be found on properties owned by private individuals or companies or can be owned by local, state, and federal governmental agencies. Tents are normally single-occupied structures and are oftentimes noticed on public and private rights of way. More information about how to report encampments and trash can be found online.