Tulsa has been selected as one of four cities to participate in the launch of the Just Home Project, a national program designed to break the link between housing instability and jail incarceration.
The Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity (TAEO) is the lead applicant for the project whose work through the grant is supported by a range of community partners who have helped lay the foundation for this work.
“When we look at data on the drivers of homelessness and housing insecurity in Tulsa, the impact of incarceration becomes glaringly apparent,” said Kian Kamas, TAEO Executive Director.
TAEO will be eligible to receive an investment from a $15 million pool of funds to implement plans and acquire or develop housing.
In addition to Tulsa, other communities selected for the Just Home Project include Charleston County, South Carolina; Minnehaha County, South Dakota; City and County of San Francisco, California.
By coupling grant funding with investment capital, this demonstration project seeks to unlock local government innovation, absorb risk that housing providers are hesitant to take, and provide much-needed support for people in danger of remaining trapped in a cycle of housing instability and jail.