Annual 'point in time' Homeless Count
From: Tulsa World
One out of five homeless people in Tulsa has a job, including nearly 100 people who suffered homelessness last year, despite having full-time employment, according to newly released data from the Community Service Council.
“This speaks to the need for affordable housing and livable wages,” said Rhené Ritter, program coordinator for A Way Home for Tulsa, a coalition of organizations working with the homeless. “The current rent cost for a two-bedroom in Tulsa would require an income of $16 an hour.”
More than 5,600 individuals experienced homelessness last year in Tulsa, according to the Community Service Council. On average, they needed 27 days to secure housing again, and 65% were homeless for the first time.
The homeless population is constantly evolving, as some people find housing while others lose it, officials said. But the overall size of Tulsa’s homeless population has remained relatively stable for several years, Ritter said. Officials counted 5,800 homeless individuals in 2017.