By Devyn Lyon, FOX23 News
TULSA, Okla. — On Veterans Day, a new partnership in Tulsa is working to help veterans experiencing homelessness find a place to call home, offering not only rental assistance but access to services intended to help them stay housed.
The Tulsa Housing Authority has awarded 20 federal housing vouchers to Golf Course Studios, a former nursing home and rehabilitation center near Mohawk Park that has been converted into a 59-unit apartment community.
The vouchers are part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, which combines rental assistance with supportive services for eligible veterans.
The effort brings together Tulsa Housing Authority, the nonprofit Heroes Hope, the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System and the property’s owners.
A growing need for veteran housing in Tulsa
Sean Lord, founder of Heroes Hope, said his organization is working to address a persistent problem in the Tulsa metro area.
“So there are roughly 170 to 200 known and identified unhoused veterans in the Tulsa metro area,” Lord said.
He explained that many of those veterans are not immediately visible to the public.
“You know, many of them, you might see a few panhandling, but most of them are ones who have dug in deep in a wooded area or something. They try to stay out of sight, out of mind,” Lord said.
According to Housing Solutions Tulsa’s 2026 Point-in-Time Count, 1,443 people were experiencing homelessness across Tulsa city and county during the annual survey.
Veterans represented approximately 8% of that population, equivalent to an estimated 115 people.
The annual count provides a snapshot of homelessness on a single night, rather than the total number of people who experience homelessness throughout the year.
The veteran share of Tulsa’s homeless population was approximately 8% in 2024, 7% in 2025 and 8% in 2026.
Those percentages translate to estimated veteran counts of 111, 101 and 115, respectively. Because the percentages are rounded, the figures should not be interpreted as exact year-to-year changes.
Lord’s estimate of 170 to 200 known unhoused veterans reflects his organization’s ongoing outreach across the broader Tulsa metro area, rather than the single-night Point-in-Time Count.
He said Heroes Hope has helped house nearly 200 veterans over the past year, but the need for assistance remains.
“And even though we’ve housed almost that many, you know, the need continues to grow,” Lord said.
Lord pointed to several contributing factors, including post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, substance use and veterans who have not connected with available VA services.
He said some veterans also relocate to Tulsa from other states, while outreach teams continue identifying individuals who were previously unknown to service providers.
How the new housing vouchers work
The 20 vouchers awarded to Golf Course Studios are project-based HUD-VASH vouchers.
Unlike tenant-based vouchers, which generally allow eligible recipients to seek housing from participating landlords, project-based vouchers are attached to specific apartments.
That means eligible veterans can receive rental assistance while living in designated units at Golf Course Studios.
The partnership also connects residents with supportive services, including case management, mental health counseling, substance use treatment and medical care.
Lord said the program creates an opportunity to assist veterans who may have struggled to qualify for other forms of housing assistance.
He described veterans who receive disability benefits or Social Security income but have significant financial obligations, including child support, alimony or debt.
Lord said the new arrangement could help some of those veterans access housing and additional services, although eligibility is determined through the program’s requirements.
“And so now there’s an opportunity for veterans to get off the street, be housed, but more importantly, now have access to some of that social work case management,” Lord said.
According to the announcement, the redevelopment of Golf Course Studios represents nearly $3 million in investment.
The property contains 59 apartments, with 20 designated for assistance through the newly awarded vouchers.
More veterans could move in within weeks
Lord said Heroes Hope and its partners have already identified approximately 10 to 12 veterans who may qualify for the new vouchers.
The organizations are working together to contact those individuals and move them through the housing process.
Lord said he anticipates all 20 voucher-supported apartments could be filled within the next month.
That timeline is a goal, not a confirmed move-in schedule.
The announcement does not establish that all 20 vouchers have already been used or that all identified veterans have completed the eligibility process.
Honoring veterans beyond Veterans Day
For Lord, the announcement carries particular significance on Veterans Day.
He said the holiday often brings public recognition for military service, including free meals, discounted services and community celebrations.
While he appreciates those gestures, he hopes the attention also extends to veterans who are struggling with homelessness and other challenges.
“But the community that I get to serve sometimes either go unseen or because of their the outward view of their inward struggles, they get overlooked,” Lord said.
He emphasized that experiencing homelessness does not diminish a veteran’s service.
“But the reality is they still stepped in. They still put on the same uniform, they took the same steps. They were on some of the same deployments as the rest of us, and we don’t see them as any different,” Lord said.
He hopes the new partnership will demonstrate that housing instability does not have to be permanent.
“I think on Veterans Day, it’s great to have these conversations to encourage the community like, hey, there is a way forward for the veteran community,” Lord said.
For Heroes Hope and its partners, the goal is to help veterans secure stable housing while providing ongoing support to prevent them from returning to homelessness.
Resources for veterans seeking housing assistance
Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their housing can contact the VA’s National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838.
The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Veterans can also learn about housing assistance through the VA’s homeless veterans programs.
Additional information about local housing assistance is available through Tulsa Housing Authority and Housing Solutions Tulsa.
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