TULSA, Okla. — Homlessness in Tulsa went up 6.6% from 2022 to 2023, an annual count conducted by Housing Solutions Tulsa found.
The Point-In-Time (PiT) Count reported 44% of the 1,133 respondents said a lack of affordable housing was a major cause of their being unhoused.
“Tulsa County is experiencing its portion of a national increase in homelessness that affects every major city and metropolitan area,” said Becky Gligo, Housing Solutions executive director. “PiT survey questions support findings in our recently released Tulsa Housing Study that point to one dominant factor: a lack of affordable housing.”
The study is conducted annually, where volunteers literally take to the streets and count the number of people experiencing homelessness. This year's study found 14% of Tulsa County's homeless are employed, 20.5% are tribal citizens, 54% stated domestic violence was a factor in their homelessness.
Housing Solutions did find a 3% decrease in homelessness in those aged 18-24.
The count is a part of A Way Home for Tulsa, which is a group of agencies working to lessen the impacts of homelessness on the Tulsa community.
“A Way Home for Tulsa (AWH4T) is a collective of more than 40 Tulsa homeless agencies and organizations who impact homelessness in unique and varied ways,” said Mack Haltom, AWH4T chair and Tulsa Day Center executive director. “As a collective and individual organizations, we base our goals and continued efforts on the data from this important study. It shows us where we’re succeeding and where we have opportunities to improve.”
According to Housing Solutions, this data will help guide federal funding, including the $5.3 million Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project grant that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Tulsa in October.
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