Tulsa’s Affordable Housing Strategy Underway

In December, we got a glimpse into the future of housing in Tulsa thanks to the work of the City’s first Housing Policy Director, Becky Gligo. With Gligo’s hard work and the formation of an agency coalition, we put forth our first Affordable Housing Strategy that is working to tackle some of the toughest housing issues we face today.
Ranking as the 11th highest evictor in the nation and needing about 4,000 quality affordable housing units, Tulsa is in desperate need of a housing roadmap. We must do better. This strategy provides an actionable plan to create more affordable housing opportunities, reduce evictions and help lower the number of Tulsans facing homelessness.
Operating on four core values, 10 detailed strategies and multiple actionable metrics, the city is taking action to preserve neighborhoods and help provide decent, safe and affordable housing for all of our neighbors. Every neighborhood in Tulsa needs equitable investment, and we must operate on the notion that affordable housing is a human right, no matter an individual’s income or what zip code they live in.
For some, having a high cost of living can be the difference in, “do I buy groceries this month or pay the bills.” We never want that to be the case. Starting in 2020, we will work to create the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which will help us gain access to additional resources to allow us to put more money than ever before into affordable housing creation, preservation and tenant protections. Also in 2020, we will continue to work with Working In Neighborhoods on their Housing Opportunity Program and work to launch landlord/tenant outreach opportunities to combat evictions in Tulsa.
When everyone has a quality, affordable place to live and thrive, so too can our economy. Through holistic neighborhood investment, we’re creating opportunities for developers to come in, provide jobs and give people the types of housing they need. With increased home stability, our neighbors shouldn’t have to worry about choosing between feeding their families or putting a roof over their heads.
And for those in Tulsa who don’t have a place to call home, we must do our part to make sure they get the resources they need to transition into more permanent housing solutions. I’m excited to say Gligo will be taking a continued leadership role in A Way Home For Tulsa, our city’s continuum of care that is working to reduce homelessness.
If there’s anything we learned in this process, it’s that providing quality affordable housing takes a citywide effort, consisting of both for-profit and nonprofit entities. I’m incredibly thankful for everyone who had a hand in helping create our roadmap to a more successful housing landscape in Tulsa.
I invite you to read the strategy at www.cityoftulsa.org/housing.