Tulsa Neighborhood Concerned Over Homeless Population

People living in the Charles Page neighborhood want the county's help keeping the homeless off their properties.

County Commissioner Karen Keith says there are big hopes for improvements, that start with clearing out of the under-brush later this summer.

"The neighbors are really upset because we have a transient population. Urban campers, homeless, a lot of them live along the levee and they live along the Katy Trail," Keith said.

Keith says it's a problem they've been trying to fix for years.

"These folks go back and forth and unfortunately they go into the neighborhood," Keith said.

During our interview, we spotted a couple heading over the levee into the woods. It's what's irritating Kimberly Guinn, who moved here two years ago.

"Every day and it gets worse and worse and worse as the summer nights come along," Guinn said.

During the last three nights, Guinn says her dogs caught some of those homeless people trying to cut through her backyard.

"That's new, that trail is new. Loss of sleep and irritation, and I feel like they're intruding on my property," Guinn said.

Realtor John Beasley took an interest in the area last fall. He says he wants to help turn the neighborhood around with the help of the county, including Tulsa Police, the Sheriff's Office and emergency management, along with the family shelter and John 3:16.

"Getting all these services coordinated, we hope we can make a real difference in revitalizing this neighborhood," Beasley said.

Revitalization they all hope will give everyone involved some peace of mind. Karen Keith says they're looking at adding a road through the wooded area to make it easier for police and deputy patrols.