By Paige Orr, Fox23 News
TULSA, Okla. — City leaders and community partners gathered Monday to announce a major milestone in the “Safe Move Tulsa” initiative, reporting that 50 people who were regularly sleeping in downtown Tulsa have been transitioned into stable housing.
The announcement marks a significant step in the city’s new strategy to address homelessness and encampments within the Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL). Since the program’s launch in November, officials say a total of 118 people have been connected to housing across the city.
Mayor Monroe Nichols emphasized that the strategy is built on more than just clearing streets; it is about creating a coordinated system between outreach teams, public safety, and service providers to ensure those moved off the streets stay off the streets.
The effort in the downtown area was the result of a three-month coordinated push to engage individuals and connect them with shelter and supportive services. City officials noted that five long-term encampments outside of the downtown area have been closed and have remained closed since the initiative began.
Tulsa City Council Chair Karen Gilbert credited the progress to the collaborative nature of the program, which involves groups like the Tulsa Day Center, Housing Solutions, and Grand Mental Health.
The initiative is currently in its first phase, with a goal of housing 1,000 individuals by the end of the year through encampment decommissioning and “rapid exit” strategies. These strategies include short-term interventions like security deposit assistance and transportation support to prevent people from falling into chronic homelessness.
Downtown Tulsa Partnership Chairman Chip Gaberino noted that the increased coordination is providing the consistency needed to manage a vibrant downtown while caring for vulnerable residents.
“The key on everything, I think, is what’s going to result from this coordination of efforts is consistency,” Gaberino said. “Having a consistent final result of the interactions that we have with everyone that ends in a solution of shelter, the services that they need and the support that they need.”
Residents and business owners who encounter individuals needing assistance or notice new street sleeping activity are encouraged to report it to trained outreach teams. Requests for assistance can be made through the Housing Solutions assistance request form.
