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Tuesday, June 19, 2007
World Editorial Writers
6/19/2007
Plan on housing advances
A coalition of Tulsa agencies and philanthropic leaders is in the process of finalizing an ambitious plan to find permanent homes for the city's homeless.
The plan, which backers say would cost about $27 million over the next five years, perhaps is not a cure-all for the problems associated with homelessness. But it draws on the most successful experiences of other communities and it stands a good chance of getting most of Tulsa's homeless people off the streets and into stable environments.
The Zarrow Families Foundation provided some start-up funds for staff at the Mental Health Association of Tulsa and the Tulsa Housing Authority's nonprofit entity, Housing Partners of Tulsa, to begin developing the plan.
The endeavor is being called "Building Tulsa, Building Lives," and is based on a national model called "Housing First."
It is estimated there are close to 600 homeless people in Tulsa who have extreme difficulty finding stable housing because of various disabilties. About 60 percent of them have a form of mental illness.
Historically, social services programs sometimes would provide housing for these individuals but only if they agreed to certain conditions, such as participating in treatment and training programs.
That approach hasn't always worked with the chronically homeless, so the new philosophy is to provide them housing with no strings attached, and make needed social services readily available. A similar program operated by the Mental Health Association has proven surprisingly successful, with about 80 percent of those involved staying in stable housing.
A mix of housing types will be sought, and backers say the new dwelling units will not be distinguishable as "homeless housing."
It's no secret that one of the motivations for the new housing plan is the push to redevelop downtown. While homeless people are usually not dangerous, their presence sometimes is disturbing to those unused to being around them.
"If we develop downtown, we also have to develop a perception of safety," noted Mayor Kathy Taylor.
But the redevelopment effort also could -- and should -- mean a broad, humanitarian approach to helping these individuals. It stands to reason most human beings wouldn't want to live such an existence. These are people who, for a variety of reasons, usually can't help themselves. In the long run, the taxpayers will benefit too in terms of reduced health-care and criminal-justice costs.
It's the right thing to do.
Reprinted with special permission from the Tulsa World
Copyright © 2007, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved
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