Major Investments needed to End Homelessness

The city recently released a report from Clutch Consulting Group that determined we need to invest $60 million in the next three years to effectively end street homelessness. In addition, it will take a $30 million annual investment to maintain this, so that Tulsa would be at “functional zero homelessness”. Wow, that’s a lot of money, but the reality is, they are correct.

I’m not a consultant, and up until a little over four years ago, I had little experience in this homelessness fight. However, I could clearly see then, and we see now, that the most pressing need is for our chronically homeless people especially to have a real home. Shelters are good and needed, but they are meant to be temporary. People need a safe, dignified, sustainable home to live in. And in most cases only when that is provided, will a person who’s been living on the streets for years be able to deal with their many issues, improve their life, and become a positive addition to our community instead of a detriment.  

Starting with nothing except a vision three years ago, we have worked hard to build and develop Eden Village at a price tag of $7.2 million. For the land, infrastructure, community center, and 63 tiny homes that comes to $114K per home. That’s a great investment. We’ve been very efficient with our donor’s money and have built this for way less than other models.  We’ve had great support from our community, volunteers, and God has blessed us and been our support.

For $60 million, one could build 500 of these tiny homes in a community. This would greatly help the situation, especially for those 500 folks. We are proving our model works well. We are seeing transformation happen at Eden Village in the lives of many. And we’ve done this in three years, without any experience as a developer or builder, just a passion to do what’s right and needed.

I’ve said many times this is a community problem in need of a community response to really move the needle. Do we as a community have the will and passion to do what’s really needed? Our city, businesses, foundations, churches, and families have plenty of resources to make it happen. It all boils down to deciding that our homelessness problem is worth solving. I believe that how a community takes care of the “least of these”, our homeless citizens on the streets, tells a lot about the heart and soul of a city.

This “retired” business owner is in.  Are you?