Fill out my online form.
Close
TULSA, OK — Each year, Tulsa sets out to answer a difficult but necessary question: how many of our neighbors are experiencing homelessness? The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is the tool we use to find that answer. Conducted every January, the count captures a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered, on a single night. In Tulsa, Housing Solutions coordinates the PIT Count as the lead agency for the local Continuum of Care, known as A Way Home for Tulsa. The effort involves outreach teams, service providers, and volunteers who work together to identify and survey individuals and families across the city and county. In 2025, the PIT Count identified 1,449 individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to the previous year.
The rise in homelessness reflected in this year’s count points to a larger issue: too many people cannot access housing they can afford. Still, Tulsa’s homeless response system is working. Providers connect people to housing and support every day, and collaboration across agencies continues to expand. These efforts are effective, but increasing access to affordable housing remains essential to making long-term progress.
“The PIT Count helps us understand who’s being left behind and where our system needs to grow,” said Mark Smith, CEO of Housing Solutions. “We’re making real progress. People are getting housed, and our community is responding, but the lack of affordable units continues to limit what is possible. If we want to reverse this trend, we need more housing options and more coordinated investment in the solutions we know work.”
– Local Origins of Homelessness: 82% of respondents said their homelessness began in Oklahoma, and 75% said it began in Tulsa, underscoring the need for local systems of care and prevention.
– Families with Children: People in families with children accounted for 13% of all individuals counted, including over 100 minors.
– Aging Homelessness Population: 1 in 4 people experiencing homelessness were age 55 or older. Nearly all reported having at least one disability.
– Racial Disparities Remain: 53% of people counted identified as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC), while BIPOC residents represent just 41% of the City’s population.
– Chronic Homelessness is Up: 39% of those counted reported long-term or recurring experiences of homelessness. Nearly half of them were unsheltered.
– Mental Health a Growing Factor: 28% of individuals reported that mental health conditions contributed to their homelessness, up from 19% in 2024.
“We remain committed to a goal of functional zero by 2030. The data suggests we have failed to appropriately address this issue for years, but my Administration will not continue the path of burying our heads in the sand. We are going to be aggressive and must take a deliberate and exhaustive approach to addressing the dire needs of our community surrounding homelessness and housing,” Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said.
“At the same time, this Point‑in‑Time Count should serve as a clear call for action to every City department, partner, organization, and community leader: we haven’t been keeping pace, and we must double down on our efforts to expand shelter capacity, transitional housing, supportive services, and innovative solutions to confront the crisis facing our community. I am grateful for Tulsa’s unified determination to end this crisis, but achieving our goal of eliminating homelessness by 2030 demands both deliberate and swift action. We must leave no stone unturned, and the time to act is now.”
A Way Home for Tulsa is already taking steps to act on the data. This year, the community collaborative released a new five-year strategic plan focused on reducing homelessness, increasing housing access, and addressing racial disparities through coordinated, data-informed strategies.
To guide progress, the plan outlines the following measures of success through 2029:
– House 5,000 people through Continuum of Care (CoC) projects by 2029
– Prevent at least 50,000 people from becoming homeless through eviction prevention, diversion, and stabilization
– Reduce first-time homelessness
– Conduct an annual racial equity analysis and reduce the overrepresentation of BIPOC individuals experiencing homelessness by 10% by 2029
To view the full A Way Home for Tulsa Strategic Plan, click here. You can also view Tulsa’s 2025 PIT Count results by clicking here.
English 
Spanish