Tulsa man creates plan to battle homelessness

TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa man said he believes he can end homelessness in Green Country, but it will take all of us to make it happen.

New Life Church pastor and founder of Healing Houses Chris Stephens has worked with the homeless for 11 years.

“It’s not just housing, we truly want to heal the whole person,” Stephens said.

Stephens said while the shelters in Tulsa do a good job, it’s not fixing the underlying issue. He said his three-part program works by healing the person, finding them housing and helping them create a better life for themselves.

“It starts with a transitional tiny home community where we can offer someone who is ready and willing to get off the streets immediate housing into a program. No wait. No three, four, six month wait to get into housing when they’re ready to go,” Stephens said.

“We’ll offer full range, most complete wrap-around services available. As far as everything they need from spiritual growth, job training and placement, professional counseling, and therapy. Everybody will be required to participate in wrap-around services."

He said if you cure the addiction, 75 percent of homelessness would be eradicated, but just housing them will not keep them off the streets.

“We’ve seen that in Tulsa, we’ve seen that around the nation. It does not work, where many organizations are just trying to house people that do not want housed. And that’s not what we’re here for, we are actually a program not a shelter. And so we know, healing comes first and then housing will come after that."

Stephens said no one wants to be homeless. No one likes sleeping in the street but it will take compassion and humility from all of us to make a difference.

Stephens said the Healing Houses program is currently looking for funding and land to build the tiny home community.

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