Father's Day Weekend Storm Exacerbates Tulsa’s Housing Shortage

Tulsa’s housing market is being stretched even further after the Father's Day weekend storm left dozens of homes too damaged to be livable.

Now, some families are struggling to find housing.

On one of Andrew Witter’s rental properties near 21st and Harvard, strong winds uprooted a gigantic tree in the backyard, causing it to collapse on the home.

Witter said his tenant must find another place to live while insurance adjusters try to figure out if the home is a total loss.

Witter said he is grateful his tenant made it out of the home with just scratches, but all of her belongings are still in there because it is unsafe to go into the house.

Safety concerns are keeping the home from being evaluated or fixed, if that is even an option.

"The adjusters want to see the property without the tree,” said Witter. “The tree companies aren't wanting to remove the tree if they're going to try to salvage the house because of the additional damage that could happen."

This means no home for the tenant and no income for the landlord.

"The house was part of my retirement plan,” said Witter. “Still have to keep paying the bills and everything while I figure out what insurance is going to do."

Matt Trotter, spokesperson with the Red Cross, said housing is usually the biggest challenge for people recovering from disasters.

“Sometimes getting them into housing is the hardest part of helping them recover,” said Trotter.

Trotter said disaster workers have looked at about 900 homes in northeast Oklahoma, and so far, more than 50 of those are severely damaged or destroyed.

"Usually, the Red Cross assistance is going to be for people who are the most vulnerable, who might need additional assistance above and beyond their homeowner’s insurance or renter's insurance,” said Trotter.

The Red Cross said if your home is badly damaged, you can call 211 to be connected to community resources or visit the Red Cross’ website for more information.