Who are the Homeless?
It’s not hard to become homeless. Being a single parent, losing a job, getting a divorce, losing health insurance or not keeping up with the rising costs of gas, housing, healthcare, food and utilities are factors that increase a person’s likelihood of becoming homeless.
In addition, more than 20,000 Tulsans live in subsidized housing; and 26% of Tulsans work for a living, but still can’t afford market rate housing. One or more negative events could easily force members of this at-risk population into homelessness.
These 150,000 people – nearly 1 in every 4 Tulsans, who either live in subsidized housing or can’t make ends meet with their paychecks – are at risk of becoming the next wave of homeless in Tulsa.
Who are Tulsa’s homeless?
- Men, women and families
- 4,100 different Tulsans a year
- Approximately 610 people each night
- More than 220 chronically homeless; The others are situationally or briefly homeless due to circumstances such as divorce, domestic abuse, loss of income, or loss of their home or apartment
- 10% from foster care system