City Of Tulsa Looking For Facility To House New Low-Barrier Shelter

The City of Tulsa is in the process of finding a facility to house its new low-barrier shelter. This is the next step in the city's low barrier shelter program, which will be ran by the City Lights Foundation.

The city is currently looking at some options, but hopes to have more before making a final decision on a facility for those without shelter.

What is a low barrier shelter?

This new type of shelter is part of Mayor G.T. Bynum's initiative to ease homelessness in Tulsa. It's expected to open sometime in 2024.

The low-barrier shelter would offer personalized areas, rather than one big area where everyone is together.

The low-barrier shelter will accept pets and people who have previously been kicked out of other shelters.

The City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma is looking for a facility to lease under the program.

These facilities can range from churches to hotels, as long as they can provide shelter. However, there are some requirements for these facilities.

Some of those requirements include 50 to 75 private rooms with a door, rooms with ADA accessibility, and for the building to be ready for use by November 1, 2024.

The city said it wants as many options as possible.

"We want to make sure that we are aware of every option that is out there. So this RFI, the request for information, allows us to find something that is maybe not currently listed on the market for sale or for lease," said Travis Hulse, City of Tulsa Housing Policy Director.

Those who want to submit their facility to the city must do so by April 12.

Facility requirements noted in the RFI include:

1. 50-75 private rooms with a door
2. Private bathrooms with showers for each room or shared between every two rooms
3. Kitchen or kitchenette accommodations
4. Laundry room accommodations
5. Storage area for supplies
6. Pet friendly facility
7. Rooms with ADA accessibility
8. Single point of public entry
9. Site ready for operations by no later than November 1, 2024
10. Office space for on-site staff
11. Single-story - preferred
12. Interior lounge areas - preferred
13. Enclosed outdoor green space – preferred