Boulders

Three years ago, after not doing retirement very well, I started a non-profit with the goal of developing a tiny-home community for people coming out of chronic homelessness. I was not a builder or developer. I volunteered with several good local non-profits that work in the area of homelessness. It was pretty clear then, and even more so now, we have a problem with too many people trying to survive on the streets.

I’ve learned a lot along the way, made a few mistakes, learned from those mistakes, took some hits,  and overcame many obstacles. I did what any small business owner would do…..saw a need and figured out a way to meet that need quickly. 

We are now home to 34 people who before had little hope. We have 4 staff members, hundreds of volunteers, with 27 more homes set to be completed by Christmas. While we won’t solve homelessness in Tulsa, as our Mayor has stated as a goal, we will solve it for 63 people. Our little non-profit has raised funds to build Eden Village in 3 years, we’re operational, changing lives, and have zero debt. We’re completed at about $105K per home, including the Helmerich Community Center, with lots of beautiful green space. The average annual cost to support an individual experiencing homelessness in the community is approximately $35K. Providing housing in a tiny home community is a good investment for the city, and life-changing for our new neighbors. We are seeing that now.

This has been done with the support of part of our community…..from foundations, businesses, churches, families, and individuals. We’ve had significant funding from federal, state, and county governments. However, the city of Tulsa has not provided any funding, while we are approaching almost $100K in fees and permits to the city in building Eden Village.

 I like and respect our new Mayor, and we’re thrilled he has taken a stand in wanting to “solve” this homelessness problem. I’ve told him personally we are on his team and want to make him look like a hero. However, it’s time for the city to do more than just talking about it and putting up huge, ugly boulders along a downtown sidewalk. 

Really? That’s going to help solve homelessness?  We continue to just kick the can down the road while hoping the problem goes away. All the while, our homeless population continues to climb, with more people trying to survive on the streets.  

I first heard about permanent supported housing four years ago, when I was exploring the possibility of developing an Eden Village. People continue to share how this is the best solution to the homelessness problem, and I agree. If the city really wants to move towards solving this problem, they need to start acting more like a small business than a large bureaucracy. They need to get out the box, try new things, change the zoning code, improve the permitting process, and other things to make it easier, cheaper, and faster for people like us and others to build communities serving the homeless. 

The government cannot solve this homelessness problem on their own. But they can help others, such as non-profits, do what they do. Churches, businesses, foundations, government, non-profits, and families all need to step up if we really want to move the needle in this fight. I’ve always said that how a community takes care of the least of these, our most vulnerable neighbors, tells a lot about the heart and soul of a community.  Throwing up big boulders will not get it done. WE can do better than this.