Welcome to A Way Home for Tulsa’s Partner Agency Portal
A Way Home for Tulsa (AWH4T) is a collective impact of over 30 voting organizations that exists to plan and implement strategies that support a system of outreach, engagement, assessment, prevention and evaluation for those experiencing homelessness, or those persons at risk of homelessness, within Tulsa City/County.
Membership for AWH4T is always open. AWH4T members support the efforts of the CoC to achieve its goal of preventing and ending homelessness in the Tulsa area. AWH4T members are encouraged to serve on a committee or task group. If you have any questions about membership to A Way Home for Tulsa (Tulsa CoC), please email housingsolutions@housingsolutionstulsa.org. You can read more about the governance structure, task forces, funding availability and more throughout this section of Housing Solutions’ website.
Please review the Governance Charter to learn more about member responsibilities.
Leadership Council
A Way Home for Tulsa has a governing body and a number of sub-committees and working groups. The governing body for AWH4T is the Leadership Council and is representative of the geography and composition of the CoC. As the governing body, the leadership council is the lead decision-making body responsible for managing community planning, coordination and evaluation to ensure that the homeless response system rapidly ends people’s homelessness permanently. Representatives to the Leadership Council are chosen through an open and democratic process.
Members
- Tulsa Housing Authority Representative – Ginny Hensley, Vice-Chair 2023
- INCOG Representative – Claudia Brierre
- Tulsa County Representative – James Rea
- City of Tulsa Representative – Mayor Bynum
- Cherokee Nation Representative – Rhonda Clemons
- Muscogee (Creek) Nation Representative – Thomasene Osborn
- Funder Representative – Elizabeth Hall, Burnstein Family Foundation
- Business/Commerce Representative – Lauren Sherry, QuikTrip
- Participant Advisory Group Representative – Ben Naifeh
- Youth Action Board – Joshua Morrison
- rovider Representative – Beth Svetlic, Youth Services of Tulsa
- Provider Representative – Mack Haltom, Tulsa Day Center, Chair 2023
- Provider Representative – Greg Shinn, Mental Health Association OK
- At-Large Representative – Tim Newton, Tulsa Dream Center
- At-Large Representative – Crystal Hernandez, ODMHSAS
- At-Large Representative – Richard Alexander, Tulsa Police Department
- At-Large Representative – Stephanie Younis, Tulsa County Alternative Courts
Meetings
- Leadership Council meetings are open to the public and are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 1:30 – 3:00 pm. Agendas for each meeting will be posted one week before each meeting and linked on this page.
2023 Meeting Schedule
- ⇒ January 10 – Meeting Packet / Minutes
- ⇒ February 14 – Meeting Packet
- ⇒ March 21 – Meeting Packet / Minutes
- ⇒ April 11 – Meeting Packet / Minutes
- ⇒ May 9 – Meeting Packet
- ⇒ June 13
- ⇒ July 11
- ⇒ August 15
- ⇒ September 12
- ⇒ October 10
- ⇒ December 12
All-Member Meetings
- ⇒ May 9, 1:30-4 p.m. – Register Here
- ⇒ November 9, 1-4 p.m.
- Public Comment Guidelines: Speakers may request to make a public comment via email before the meeting or during the meeting by using the Q&A feature or chat function in the virtual meeting software. The Chair will call upon the lead agency to assist with public comments. The Chair has the authority to open and close the public speaking portion of each action item on the agenda to ensure the meeting continues to move along at a reasonable pace.
Strategic Plan
For many years, Tulsans have offered their ideas, hopes, concerns and strategies for making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring for
the members of our community. From their ideas and passion came the decision to embark on a year-long strategic planning process in 2019.
The process engaged hundreds of stakeholders in forums across Tulsa, including a communitywide kick-off event with more than 300 participants,
committee meetings, online surveys, and focus groups. Conversations included feedback from experts who confront homelessness on
the front lines daily, as well as individuals with lived experience of homelessness.
This valuable information came from youth, chronically homeless individuals, women who have experienced domestic violence, people living outside, and people with serious mental illness. From all of these stakeholders came a plan that is a true reflection of the community’s priorities and offers a clear path toward a healthier, safer and more
livable Tulsa.
Thank you to all who have contributed so far and for your continued commitment to this cause. For others who are still looking to get involved, please contact A Way Home for Tulsa so we can help you find your place in this community effort.
