Anger as Gov. Stitt disbands Interagency Council on Homelessness

We appreciate that the Governor's office feels that the Interagency Council on Homelessness. has been effective over the years. We do know what the solution to homelessness is: It's access to affordable housing and access to services, health and mental health care, education, training and gaining an income once someone is in housing. We have made progress. Veteran homelessness is down 24% in the last few years. But even one veteran homeless means our work is not done. Even one young person being released from DHS or from foster care to homelessness is too many. Homelessness among the longest-term and disabled population is up 115% in the last 8 years in Oklahoma. At the same time, unsheltered homelessness is up 62% across the state. Again , this means our work is not done and we have a long way to go. Homelessness is a visible problem and it's impacting hospitals, emergency rooms, law enforcement and quality of life in Oklahoma. Homelessness in Tulsa increased from 1,063 in 2022 to 1,133 in 2023 on a single night in January.

 

The Oklahoma Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness (GICH) was created under Governor Brad Henry and continued by Governor Mary Fallin, who added a tribal representative. It has also been continued by Governor Stitt. The Council provides annual updates to the Governor's office at no cost to the state. There is no state funding involved so the Council does not impact the size of state government. Members of the Council are approved by the Governor's office and there are 26 seats, including Department of Commerce, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Department of Human Services, Office of Juvenile Affairs, other state agencies and nonprofit organizations from across the state. The meetings move around the state to highlight best practice models and share information about resources and updates.

 

The United States Interagency Council on Homeless (USICH) is the keeper of the federal plan to end and prevent homeless and tracks national trends and best practices for solutions to homelessness. The executive director is appointed by the President of the United States and convenes the Council whose members rotate among the cabinet members like the VA, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Health and Human Services and so forth.

 

Similarly, the Oklahoma Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness is the keeper of the State Plan to End and Prevent Homelessness. This plan is recognized by the USICH and we participate in national homelessness planning webinars with all of the other states and their Council representatives.

 

Dissolving the Council is a step backward in our collaborative efforts to prevent and end homelessness. So much progress has been made, but we have so far to go. Homelessness is solvable, but we are not there yet.

 

Greg Shinn

Past Chair, Oklahoma Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness

“The governor’s decision to end the Interagency Council on Homelessness couldn’t come at a worse time for Oklahomans. Last year, Tulsa launched an aggressive effort to address this issue, and it’s a shame that the governor is waving a white flag to a challenge plaguing communities across the state.

“If we work together, there are bipartisan solutions to these complex problems. Earlier this session, I authored a bill that will more than double the affordable housing tax credit [oklegislature.gov], and it not only passed the House but gained Republican co-authors. When we work together, we can pass smart policies to combat homelessness in Oklahoma, but we can’t afford to cut stakeholders out of the conversation or for leaders to pass on their responsibility to meet this great challenge, which is exactly what the governor has done.”