In early August, 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.
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, 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.
Safe Move Tulsa is the City of Tulsa’s comprehensive Rehousing Plan for 300 individuals/families experiencing homelessness who can maintain rent within a 12-month period. By implementing the Safe Move Tulsa Rehousing Plan, the City will help unlock shelter space for future decommissioning efforts, getting more people from the streets to shelters and supports. Ultimately, this initiative allows service providers the ability to better focus on individuals/families with greater needs.
The total cost is $6 million. It would be funded from $4,367,700 from the Walmart Opioid Settlement SubFund and Pandemic Relief Recovery Fund, and $1.5 million from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Walmart Opioid Settlement SubFund dollars will go toward supportive housing with a focus on providing access to safe and stable housing to support people with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder (SUD)/Mental Health (MH) conditions, recovering from, or who are at greater risk of developing OUD and any co-occurring SUD or MH conditions, as they start and sustain long-term recovery.
Throughout the year, individuals/families will have access to health care services, mental health assistance, addiction support services, financial literacy services, rental assistance, job placement, transportation, and other wrap around supports. After one year, individuals /families will have the tools they need to be able to maintain the cost of rent.
Service providers across Tulsa are already doing this work, every day, rehousing individuals/families as well as providing support services. Safe Move Tulsa rehousing initiative provides a one-time opportunity for partners to rehouse and provide individual supports to additional individuals/families. The $6 million dollars do not replace existing dollars.
The Golf Course Studios LLC development is still on track to deliver 59 deeply affordable housing units that will play a vital role in providing more housing units in Tulsa – helping Tulsa get to its goal of 6,000 affordable units by 2028.
After contracts are fully initiated, implementation will occur over 9 months when 300 individuals/families will be housed with assistance for up to a 12-month period. As a time-limited pilot program, it allows the opportunity to highlight the need for these resources while also establishing a blueprint for sustainable funding.
An individualized needs plan includes a comprehensive assessment to identify needs and create a tailored plan for each individual/family that outlines housing supports, service connections, employment opportunities, substance use recovery services, financial resources, among other things as well as a housing plan to secure housing as quickly as possible.
A Way Home for Tulsa (AWH4T) partners work closely with landlords across the community to identify and provide housing for individuals exiting homelessness. Through June of this year, AWH4T partners have already successfully placed over 500 individuals/families into housing. While housing supply remains limited and housing costs are significant in Tulsa, there is sufficient unit availability to rehouse 300 individuals/families over a 9-months.
Homelessness has consistently risen in Tulsa over the last 3 years while the resources to place people back into housing has decreased. An outcome of this program is to relieve bottlenecks and overcrowding of shelters by providing time-limited rehousing assistance and support to individuals/families who can maintain rent payments within a 12-month period. Additionally, individuals/families experiencing homelessness are at a high risk of developing chemical dependency and mental health conditions which can lead to an opioid use disorder; making access to supportive housing and services a critical need.
The Mayor’s Coalition on Eviction Mitigation is being launched in September. This coalition will consist of City of Tulsa staff who will work directly with the Landlord Tenant Resource Center, the Eviction Strategy Group, and the Eviction Data Working Group to identify opportunities to strengthen the City's involvement in eviction prevention and develop additional strategies where the City can mitigate the impact of eviction on individuals and families. The City will be an active partner in addressing the underlying causes of evictions and provide support to vulnerable tenants before they face homelessness.
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