Safe Move Tulsa Houses 50 People from Downtown Tulsa, Moves to End Street Sleeping Within Inner Dispersal Loop

Safe Move Tulsa Houses 50 People from Downtown Tulsa, Moves to End Street Sleeping Within Inner Dispersal Loop

4/6/2026

118 People Now Connected to Housing Through Safe Move Tulsa; Former Encampments Have All Remained Closed

The City of Tulsa and community partners today announced a major milestone in the Safe Move Tulsa initiative, with 50 regular Downtown sleepers connected to housing - bringing the total number of people housed through the community strategy to 118.

Safe Move Tulsa is Tulsa's new, citywide strategy to address homelessness, encampments, and street sleeping in Tulsa. To date, all of the individuals housed through Safe Move Tulsa have stayed in housing and continue to receive support thanks to YWCA Tulsa's case management teams. The work has happened at a record pace and city leaders emphasize the importance of continuing to sustain the momentum.

"Safe Move Tulsa is about building a system that delivers real, measurable outcomes - moving people off the street and into shelter and stable housing with urgency and purpose," Mayor Monroe Nichols said. "In a short time, we're already seeing tangible results and stronger alignment across outreach teams, public safety partners, and service providers. What's happening in Downtown is just the beginning of a broader, system-wide transformation - one focused on accountability, coordination, and results - placing Tulsa on a credible path to reaching functional zero homelessness by 2030."

Safe Move Tulsa's progress in Downtown is the result of a three-month, coordinated effort to engage individuals who had been regularly sleeping outdoors in Downtown and connect them to shelter, housing, and supportive services. The effort is part of the broader goal of ending street sleeping in Downtown within the Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL) through a more integrated and responsive homelessness system that includes enhanced partnerships with service providers and public safety personnel.

Combined with the work of Safe Move Tulsa across the city, 118 individuals have now received housing through the strategy, five long-term encampments have been closed outside of Downtown, and all former encampments have remained closed. Every person has remained housed and is on a better path forward, with case management teams providing services.

"Tulsa's citizens have made significant investments in our downtown and it is also home for many of the city's largest private-sector employers," said Stacy Kymes, BOK Financial President and CEO and member of the Tulsa Leadership Council. "It is critical all those who enjoy downtown feel safe while also taking pride in a vibrant economic and entertainment hub. I am grateful for the thoughtful approach the city has taken to a very complex issue and appreciate its ongoing commitment to enforcement once homeless encampments have been closed."

Coordinated Downtown Public Safety and Homelessness Response

The implementation of Safe Move Tulsa in Downtown now operates through a strengthened, coordinated network of outreach providers, behavioral health responders, and public safety partners working together to ensure individuals receive the right response at the right time.

This includes expanded collaboration between Tulsa Police Department operations, Downtown outreach teams from Housing Solutions and other A Way Home for Tulsa partners, and behavioral health response partners - all ensuring that individuals experiencing crisis or homelessness are met with both appropriate care and consistent engagement. The Tulsa Fire Department's Alternative Response Team 2 (ART-2) is also available and ready to respond at an expanded seven days a week to anyone in a mental health crises.

"Progress like this happens when an entire community works together," Council Chair Karen Gilbert said. "I am grateful to our public safety teams, our nonprofit and outreach partners, our business community and the residents of Tulsa for their collaborative efforts. Because we are working side by side, we are seeing real results that make our city safer and change lives."

Specific partners for work in Downtown include the Tulsa Day Center, Grand Mental Health, YWCA Tulsa, Downtown Tulsa Partnership, Family & Children's Services, and others who will continue to coordinate real-time transportation to shelter beds, behavioral health services, and housing navigation.

"A vibrant downtown must be both welcoming and well-managed," Downtown Tulsa Partnership Chairman Chip Gaberino said. "These efforts show that we can care for our most vulnerable neighbors while also ensuring that our public spaces remain safe, active, and accessible for everyone."

Expanding Shelter Capacity and System Access

A key component of Safe Move Tulsa is expanding the system's ability to quickly connect individuals to shelter and longer-term housing solutions.

Later this year, the City and partners expect to open a low-barrier shelter just west of downtown called The Harbor, which will significantly expand capacity and provide additional touchpoints for individuals to connect them to services, stabilization, and housing pathways.

This expansion is expected to play a major role in reducing long-term unsheltered homelessness and increasing the speed at which individuals can move from street engagement, services, and ultimately into housing.

"Safe Move Tulsa is about building a system that can respond quickly, consistently, and effectively," said Mark Smith, CEO of Housing Solutions. "What we are seeing in Downtown is a more coordinated model between outreach, shelter, and housing providers that allows us to reduce the time people remain unsheltered and increase successful exits into housing. That level of coordination is what makes long-term progress possible."

Next Steps in Downtown Tulsa
Officials emphasize that while Safe Move Tulsa has reduced long-term street sleeping in Downtown and will continue to do so, homelessness will remain visible as work continues through our shelters, outreach services, and support organizations as we work toward functional zero homelessness.

City staff, outreach workers, and public safety personnel will work with increased coordination to monitor new street sleeping activity and quickly work to ensure individuals are engaged and moved to a shelter bed.

Residents and business owners who encounter individuals needing assistance, or who are sleeping outside, are encouraged to use the Housing Solutions outreach request form for non-emergency situations so trained teams can respond appropriately.

Looking Ahead

Safe Move Tulsa is currently in Phase 1, with a goal of housing 1,000 individuals experiencing homelessness by the end of the year. This number includes encampment decommissioning work combined with rapid exit strategies.

As officials discuss ways to keep momentum going, Phase 2 will expand this work by:

• Building on the work of Phase 1 to identify and close encampments, connecting residents to housing and support
• Increasing rapid exit strategies to shorten the length of someone's homelessness
• Expanding housing navigation and case management capacity
• Further strengthening coordination across outreach, shelter, and public safety systems

Right now, Safe Move Tulsa is expanding its focus on rapid exit strategies, which are targeted, short-term interventions designed to quickly resolve homelessness when possible. These interventions may include assistance with security deposits, transportation support, or limited financial assistance to remove immediate barriers to housing stability.

This approach has already been piloted in limited settings as part of Safe Move Tulsa and is now being expanded. Results and more information about these interventions are forthcoming.

For more information about Safe Move Tulsa, visit: https://www.SafeMoveTulsa.com