WEST TULSA, Okla. — There's a plan to try to stop homelessness by building tiny homes in west Tulsa, but there have been some huge hold-ups.
FOX23 has looked into the homeless problem extensively and has an update about the tiny home community, Eden Village of Tulsa.
The founder of Eden Village told FOX23 the project is moving along, but he’s dealt with some major delays.
An orange line spray-painted on the ground marks the sewer line for Eden Village of Tulsa, where a group of 63 tiny homes will sit in west Tulsa.
“They're efficient, they're cheap. Compared to living on the street, you have a 400-foot tiny home with a bedroom, a little kitchen and a living room bathroom. It's like heaven, if you've been under a bridge,” said Brad Johnson, founder of Eden Village of Tulsa.
Johnson started this project two years ago as a way to help the homelessness problem. It's permanent housing for people who lived on the streets for more than a year.
Johnson told FOX23 last fall to fix the homelessness problem you need more than just housing, you need community.
“It's about relationships. That's where, if you've been on the streets for over a year, you can't just give them a key and wish them luck. That just doesn't work,” Johnson said.
Now six months later, Johnson said progress is being made.
“We're making progress. These things are not easy to build. There's a lot to this type of project.
He said this project is taking a lot longer than he initially thought.
“I'm a small business owner for 32 years, I'm used to making things happen quickly and doesn't quite work that way,” said Johnson. “I thought we'd be open by now. I'm a naive guy, maybe too optimistic. So really, a lot has happened in two years. But to me, it seemed like forever, because things just take so long.”
Johnson said putting in the sewer line has been a time-consuming ordeal and getting the needed permits caused a big delay.
“This is a totally new project, the City of Tulsa has been great. But at first, they really didn't know what this project was. Nothing like this has been permitted in the city of Tulsa. A tiny home community serving a specific demographic, the chronically homeless. So that's a new model,” Johnson said.
Johnson feels like because it’s a new venture, everything is taking longer.
Lately, workers dealt with a ton of rain.
“A little muddy out here, but we're still getting some things done in spite of it in the mud,” Johnson said.
A building that will be called the Helmerich Community Center should be finished in about 7 weeks. Johnson showed FOX23 the inside.
“This is our main dining room where a lot of the magic is gonna happen,” Johnson said.
There will also be offices inside the building.
“These are the three private offices for counseling,” Johnson said.
Counselors will help people deal with problems that have kept them on the streets.
“Things like mental health issues, substance abuse, physical health,” Johnson said.
They also have a plan in place for when the weather is harsh in the winter.
“We hope to be one of the emergency shelters where 40-50 folks can come in here, get off the streets and take a shower, sleep and get a meal. Then our folks that aren’t homeless anymore will serve those folks on the streets,” Johnson said.
Johnson said about the same time this building is finished, the first group of tiny homes should be ready to go.
A document shows the plan of nine homes in each group arranged in a semi-circle. Four homes go in the first group and Johnson said it can’t happen fast enough.
The numbers show the homelessness problem keeps getting worse. Every year, volunteers go out and do what’s called a point in time count. They count how many people are living on the street.
Since Johnson started his effort in 2022, volunteers counted 1,063 people who were homeless.
In 2023, the number grew to 1,133 people.
This year the count showed 1,427 people, which is a 34% increase in two years.
“Since we decided two years ago, 150 people have died,” said Johnson. “Because they're under so much trauma, they can't get stuff taken care of. It's a daily struggle just to survive.
He said that’s one reason why he’s trying to make this project happen as soon as possible.
“Of the 63 people that hopefully will be living here, they've got a shot and got some hope,” Johnson said.
Johnson said a lot needs to fall into place from a construction standpoint.
“A lot needs to happen. But in the meantime, a big part of what I tried to do is just share a vision and our needs. I mean, these things don't pop up out of the ground, just with a little water and fertilizer. It takes money, it takes funds. So a big part of what we're doing, we just need more funding. Because we want to make this happen this year,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he hopes to have nine homes open within six weeks.
Johnson is not sure this timeline can stand, but his hope is that all 63 homes will be ready by the end of this year.
