Homelessness is up in Tulsa by 10 percent this year. It went up 8 percent last year, according to the Rev. Steve Whitaker, senior pastor and CEO of John 3:16 Mission.

Oklahoma has about 4,000 verifiable homeless people.

And that number is growing.

Why?

Unemployment is down. The national economy is the best in decades. State government is getting record revenues.

But there are several causes of homelessness.

Here are some contributing factors.

The proliferation of legalized tribal gambling is ruining the lives of more Tulsans. We don’t know how many because those stories are not told by the liberal Tulsa media, which depends heavily on advertising revenue from the casinos.

Along with the Oklahoma Lottery and online gambling, anyone susceptible to gambling addiction is overwhelmed with opportunity. There are stories after stories of upper-income, middle-income and lower-income people who have lost their savings, lost their jobs, ruined their marriages and alienated their families. Some now are homeless and some are in prison.

Another factor in the destruction of the lives of people has been the liberalization of state liquor laws and the legalization of “medical” marijuana.

Recovering alcoholics can’t walk into a pharmacy, grocery store or convenience store without being confronted with an array of ice-cold wine or strong beer. It’s everywhere. That is too much temptation for some who need to avoid alcohol.

And “medical” marijuana has essentially become legalized recreational use of marijuana. Marijuana has been proven to be the No. 1 gateway drug to stronger illegal drugs. Pot, too, destroys lives and drives people into homelessness.

Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and even Austin, Texas, have enormous homeless problems. Tulsa is nowhere near those levels but the problems are growing.

Legalizing gambling, liberalizing alcohol laws and permitting recreational marijuana is accelerating Tulsa’s problems.