Studio Star Extended Stay closing in Tulsa, tenants told to vacate by end of week

The Studio Star Extended Stay near Yale and I-44 is closing in Tulsa. Now the people who call it home are looking for a place to stay. Management told tenants they'd need to be out by Saturday.

News On 6's Sam Carrico spoke to a pastor who is working to help them with their next step. He says a lot of the people who live there don't have anywhere else to go once the doors close.

Packing up

Tenants are packing up their belongings as the Studio Star Extended Stay is preparing to shut down.

"We just started getting calls that everybody had to be out, and nobody knew where they were going," said Chris Stephens with Healing Houses. Employees were handing out notices and talking to tenants about what's next. They say tenants who are up-to-date on payments will be refunded any rent they'd paid beyond Saturday.

Navigating the move

"You're dealing with a lot of people also that don't have transportation, limited income, Social Security, things along that nature, right? So just makes navigating that whole thing a little bit more difficult," said Stephens

News On 6 reached out to the City of Tulsa, which told us the decision to close the hotel was the owner's, not the city's.

Offering a helping hand

"I know they've got some remodeling and things to do as far as that goes, but everybody's got to be out by Saturday, and so there's a lot of people that need to be placed," said Stephens. He's worked with people experiencing homelessness for years. Now he's working with tenants to help them figure out the next step.

"I'm not a big fan of putting people up in a hotel, but if, if they, if that helps them for a week, and then we can, you know, get them into something permanent, then I'd rather see that than it'll be out on the streets," he said.

Employees we spoke to off-camera told us the owner of the motel did not wish to speak. We also sent him an email and called, but never heard back.