Mayor Nichols outlines Tulsa’s priorities on mental health, housing and homelessness

During an April 21 speech to the Human Rights Commission, Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols shared new developments on mental health response efforts, housing expansion, and the city’s long-term goal of reducing homelessness to functional zero by 2030.

The commission advises city leaders on policies, programs and initiatives that impact civil and human rights in Tulsa.

From 911 diversion programs to public safety partnerships, here’s what the mayor had to say.

Q: What’s happening with Tulsa’s 911 mental health triage operations?

Nichols says while they are working to improve the program, they have seen significant progress. In March alone, there were over 650 people who were diverted from a law enforcement interaction to mental health support, according to the mayor.

"For a long time, there's a lot of debate about law enforcement versus other services, and what we're saying is you can have them both and you should have them both," Nichols said.

Q: Why is mental health support so important to the city’s broader goals?

Nichols linked mental health resources directly to the city’s homelessness strategy. He warned that recent state-level funding cuts to mental health programs could undermine Tulsa’s goal of reaching “functional zero” homelessness by 2030.

“Our goal is not simply to be outraged,” Nichols said to the Commission. “We want to do the best job we possibly can at communicating what is the true impact on the people living in this city.”

Q: What is Tulsa doing to address homelessness and housing access?

Nichols said the city is working to increase shelter capacity by identifying properties to purchase for expansion. “We have a couple of different parts of town, and one is a lot we hope to purchase pretty soon,” he said.

He also highlighted efforts from the Office of Children, Youth and Families to study how housing instability affects student performance. According to Nichols, those two challenges — housing and education — are deeply connected.

“Our affordable housing challenges in Tulsa are directly impacting student outcomes in a negative way,” he said. “Looking at the cross-connectivity of that data is important to us.”

Q: What’s the city doing to engage the community?

Nichols announced that the city’s new “Community Conversation” series will begin on April 22. The forum is designed to gather feedback and build relationships between residents and city leadership.

The first meeting of the Children’s Cabinet — a group organized under the Office of Children, Youth and Families — is also expected to happen within the next two weeks. It will include local leaders and youth-focused advocates.

Q: What are the mayor’s top priorities moving forward?

Nichols listed several major areas of focus for his administration: ending homelessness, improving student outcomes, growing Tulsa’s economy, enhancing public safety, and strengthening relationships with tribal partners.

“That’s just a fraction of all the things that are running through the office right now,” he said. “But what I can tell you is those things — if nothing else — are our values in the office.”