Growing Together lays out housing, economic and leadership priorities for Kendall‑Whittier

Caitlin Williams, executive director of Growing Together, told the Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic Latinx Affairs Commission at its September meeting that the nonprofit’s neighborhood work in Kendall‑Whittier centers on “inclusive holistic community and neighborhood development” and on eliminating barriers that keep families from succeeding.

The commission heard that Growing Together deployed a neighborhood‑level Flourishing Neighborhood Index (FNI) combining asset analysis and a 45‑minute neighbor‑to‑neighbor qualitative survey. The presentation said the Community Leadership Institute collected about 400 responses across the neighborhood and measured 13 indicators; staff used the responses to identify three near‑term priorities for activation, with the top priority focused on connecting parents to resources that help advance careers and household incomes.

Why it matters: Growing Together said Kendall‑Whittier remains home to multi‑generational immigrant and Latino families but faces widening economic gaps and uneven access to amenities across the neighborhood. The group is framing its work to prevent displacement, align investments to neighborhood vision and boost residents’ knowledge of local decision‑makers and processes.

Key details presented

- Survey and metrics: The FNI combined built‑environment asset analysis with 45‑minute qualitative interviews; presenters said roughly 400 neighbor responses informed 13 index indicators and the three activation priorities.

- Economic and participation challenges: Williams said many families work multiple jobs, often have only one vehicle and face barriers reaching services located elsewhere in the city. Growing Together reported persistent drops in program completion: one ESL cohort began with 40 attendees and 10 completed a semester; a later cohort began with 40 signups but only five graduates after disruptions in January.

- Leadership and trust: The presentation said residents reported a sense of disconnection from leaders beyond the mayor and superintendent and expressed interest in learning how to access civic bodies and build local social networks.

- Programs and outcomes: Growing Together described ongoing programs including ESL classes, a Community Leadership Institute (43 residents trained in the last year, as reported), family‑mentor volunteering in schools and a youth civic engagement cohort. Williams said the group provided about “more than 6,000 hours” of family‑mentor volunteer time embedded in school work over the prior year.

- Housing work and costs: Williams said Growing Together currently manages a rental portfolio of about 47 units and is planning a small townhouse or apartment project with anticipated ground‑breaking in 2026. She told the commission the organization’s all‑in acquisition budget rose from about $140,000 per property at the start of their housing work to roughly $200,000 today and that market pressure has produced listings with asking prices “over $2,000,000” for larger lots.

On gentrification and incoming development

Commissioners asked whether Market District and other nearby developments were changing Growing Together’s strategy. Williams said residents did not feel consulted by outside investors and that rapidly rising prices and new construction had made formerly attainable acquisitions harder. She stressed Growing Together’s intent to pursue “thoughtful investments” while emphasizing community engagement to reduce displacement risk.

Programs, partnerships and events

Williams described several partnerships cited as key to neighborhood work: Tulsa Police Department for safety and trust‑building events, University of Tulsa and FC Tulsa for youth mentoring and recreation, Habitat for Humanity and other housing partners. She also listed near‑term events and volunteer opportunities — a community pumpkin patch on Oct. 18, a volunteer sign‑up for the Future Now Finance school simulation and recurring Cafe Comunidad and Talking is Teaching activities — and invited commission support for outreach and volunteer recruitment.

What the commission heard: commissioners and staff thanked Growing Together and invited collaboration on safety and education initiatives.

Ending

Growing Together asked commissioners to refer potential partners, board and committee recruitment leads, and volunteer contacts. Williams said the organization will share the FNI dashboard and impact reports with commissioners on request.