TULSA, Okla. — Housing Solutions CEO said a number of elements in an Executive Order focused on homelessness are already in effect across Tulsa.
Local News
Executive order looks to change how homelessness is managed
Mark Smith is the first leader in Green Country to come out and make a comment on the measure from the White House.
“It’s not that Tulsa is not trying some of these things that at the federal level are being highlighted as important — it’s about having the resources to meet the scale," he said.
Smith issued a statement the day after the order was signed, calling it a 'flawed understanding' of the issue and promoting criminalization rather than addressing the real drivers of homelessness.
WATCH: 2 News breaks down the executive order
The issue most concerning through the entire EO to Smith was that housing didn't seem to be a focus.
In Tulsa, the main reason people on the streets attribute to their homelessness is a lack of affordable housing.
“There is a clear connection between housing and homelessness and if we’re not addressing the housing piece, are we addressing one of the core drivers," said Smith. "One of the biggest challenges that we have is getting people into a stable place to live where they can afford and tying all those resources together. So I think we’re doing a lot of the same components that the executive order said are needed but we have to meet the scale of the problem.”
From working with mental health providers and the alternative courts programs, Smith said many of the things the president is calling for are already priorities Housing Solutions and other resources in Tulsa are focused on.
“I hope this executive order puts an emphasis on partnerships and interventions that we’re already doing and allows us to grow those and do those better," he said. "I think some of the concern will then come from you know, these things take resources."
Another element that raised concern for the Housing Solutions leader was Trump asking the Attorney General to look into long-term institutionalization for those experiencing mental health struggles on the streets.
Smith said that would be something that would need to work through the legal system and law changes. Helping those with mental health needs isn't what Smith disagrees with — it's the approach.
“We’re certainly concerned about people that are struggling with severe mental illness or their health is in such a severely declining state that they can’t take care of themselves but also you need a place for those people to live," he said. "You need a bed, and we have a severe lack of those beds as well. It won’t just be changing the law, but will we have beds, will we have services, will we have support there for that high need population? We don’t have it currently.”
As homelessness persists though, Smith pointed out there is only so much they can do amid funding cuts.
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