TULSA, Okla. — After months of anxiety, Deborah Jones now has 24 hours before her landlord changes the locks and forces her to vacate her home of nearly three decades.
Since her home failed the annual landlord inspection over the summer, the rental support she received through the Tulsa Housing Authority is no longer valid.
She's being told to find another place to live. But she has nowhere else to go.
WATCH: 2 News shared Jones' housing struggles in Aug. 2024.
"Heartbreaking," she said as she looked around her empty home. "I loved it here."
Since learning of the failed inspection over the summer, Jones received notice after notice that she would need to vacate.
“First thing they did is start coming by here with a 5-day notice to move notice because I wouldn’t pay them what they wanted me to pay," said Jones. "Housing didn’t say I had to pay, this was something they did, but the rent had been paid.”
The latest notice from Sno Property Management gave her a 48-hour notice before the locks were changed.
It's not for lack of trying, but Jones is responsible for finding a new home and hasn't had any luck. With one day left in her house, she faces being out on the street.
“Well, if they can’t physically pick me up and throw me out, I’ve just got to sit here until I find me a safe place.”
Almost every memory and moment now sits on the curb, or Jones has gotten into storage.
She didn't pay her utilities last month, so she could afford a storage unit for the majority of her belongings.
2 News' Stef Manchen called Sno Property Management to advocate for Jones. They took a message and did not get back to 2 News by the time of publication.
With time running out, 2 News called THA for help for Jones. When asked for suggestions and resources for her, THA recommended connecting with Housing Solutions Tulsa.
We got in touch with Housing Solutions Tulsa CEO Mark Smith.
He took Jones' contact information down and said his team would get to work to find her a solution. With the tight turnaround, he didn't make any promises but said they would do what they could to help.
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