News and Events
State awards grant for Tulsa homeless project
Friday, July 13, 2007
by: GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer
A project to permanently house Tulsa's chronically homeless has received its first government grant to build the initial phase.
A $2 million grant from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has been given to Housing Partners of Tulsa, the nonprofit arm of the Tulsa Housing Authority.
The grant will be used to start construction on a living and service center for about 60 homeless people. The facility will be a hub for the project.
Negotiations for a location are on going, but an announcement is expected in about 60 days, said Roy Hancock, executive director of the Tulsa Housing Authority.
"It could be called seed money or a down payment, but the grant will be used to assist us in providing the bricks and mortar to build the units," Hancock said.
"It's a good start. And with private contributions and other possible business-related investments, we actually have a chance to solve the homeless problems in Tulsa."
The project, called "Building Tulsa, Building Lives," was prompted by concerns from the Zarrow Families Foundation that chronically homeless people are not receiving appropriate services and will be forgotten during the revitalization of downtown.
Chronically homeless refers to people who are almost permanently without shelter because of various disabling conditions. Many live in pockets of downtown because of nearby shelters, soup kitchens, proximity to the Arkansas River, railroad tracks and public transportation. Of Tulsa's nearly 611 chronically homeless people, at least 60 percent have an undiagnosed or untreated mental illness, according to the leaders of the project.
The existing housing programs have rules that exclude people with criminal backgrounds or those who have ongoing personal problems such as alcoholism and drug use, or they forbid pets, which can be a difficult obstacle for a homeless person.
Foundation officials brought together the Mental Health Association of Tulsa and the Housing Partners of Tulsa last year to work on an overall plan.
The groups chose a national strategy, called "Housing First," which is being used in a few large cities and is becoming a popular option among advocates for the homeless.
It involves putting a homeless person into a basic housing unit with no strings attached. The person then is surrounded with services to work on personal issues for eventual self-sufficiency. Cities where the program is being used report fewer emergency room visits, emergency ambulance trips and arrests.
"Housing combined with essential wrap-around services -- including health, mental health, job and life skills -- is critical if we are going to end chronic homelessness in Tulsa," said Mike Brose, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Tulsa.
"Ultimately, this provides the centerpiece to provide those services and allows people to reintegrate back into the fabric of the community."
Housing Partners of Tulsa will lead the construction and design of the units. The Mental Health Association will handle the operations.
Mayor Kathy Taylor backs the project and has included it in her task force to end chronic homelessness.
The complete plan includes mixed-rate housing at scattered sites throughout the city. Project planners want the units to blend into existing neighborhoods.
The estimated cost for the program through the next five years is about $27 million. Recurring costs for services and maintenance are estimated to be $300,000 in the first year and $60,000 by the sixth year.
"The $2 million gives us a leg up, but this is not something we are going to do just once," Hancock said. "This is not just about building units. We are saying, 'We will give you housing first, then put services around you to bring you out of homelessness.' "
Ginnie Graham 581-8376 ginnie.graham@tulsaworld.com Reprinted with special permission from the Tulsa World. Copyright © 2007, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved
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