Controversial Apartment Building Given Nod

The Tulsa Housing Authority approves a new apartment building for low income and mentally ill people.  The News On 6's Emory Bryan reports the approval comes despite opposition from people who live near the site at 10 South Yale.

A $7 million building is planned for the site.  Most of the opponents live across the highway and they worry about people causing trouble in their neighborhood.  Some want the building to be smaller.  Some believe it shouldn't be there at all.  But, all of them are angry because they didn't know it was coming.

An overflowing room of people came to argue against having the apartment building and its tenants near their neighborhood.

"How about your neighborhood?  Do you want it in your neighborhood?  No you don't and that's why you're putting it in mine," said Wanda Watson of White City.

The Tulsa Housing Authority listened to people complain for an hour, after listening to supporters argue for it.

Many opponents said they didn't want to be near a complex that will target low income, disabled and mentally ill people.

"They're just normal people like me.  I wake up and take my medications, go to work and come home, they're trying to get along," said YMCA resident Kevin Flynn.

The neighbors are all angry they didn't know about the plans and don't have any way to stop it.

And, nobody but nobody chose to say a word to us and people become frustrated when you treat them that way," said Roscoe Turner of the Sequoyah Neighborhood.

The building is to replace housing that will be lost when the downtown YMCA closes at the end of next year.  Private donors are paying for half the cost and taxpayers will pay the rest.     

Supporters say it's the best solution to a growing shortage of affordable housing.

"What are we going to do, the community, what are we going to do and that's what we're trying to address here," said Michael Brose with the Mental Health Association.

Some of the neighbors are not opposed to the people who would live in the building, but to the style and size of it:  76 apartments in a multi story building.

"The building as proposed is beautiful, but it does not fit into midtown Tulsa at all," said Julie Hall of White City.

The THA approved the location and plans to proceed with it, but also plans to meet with residents to talk about their concerns, but gave them no promises that anything would change.

Related stories:

8/9/2008  Meeting Held Over New Shelter

8/7/2008  Property Owners Fight Shelter