Task force reports decline in unsheltered count, $5,000 seed gift and plans to distribute OHFA rental-assistance funds

Rachel Schoeller, vice chair of the unsheltered homeless task force, told the council on Nov. 3 that the Helping Organizations Summit drew about 130 registrants and that the task force's unsheltered count has fallen from about 58 individuals in the spring to below 50.

Schoeller said several agencies showed interest in CharityTracker after a demonstration at the summit and that multiple organizations have signed up for the testing phase. She also announced that the Bartlesville Community Foundation approved a Text-to-Give account for the task force and seeded it with $5,000.

Councilman Kirkpatrick reported that the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) has made tenant-based rental assistance (HOME-ARP) funds available for areas north of Tulsa and invited Bartlesville to administer distribution. He said Grand Mental Health will serve as the point organization to collect applications that will be routed to Oklahoma City for final processing and that the program targets people at risk of homelessness, victims of domestic violence or trafficking, and those who have been experiencing homelessness. He cautioned that federal shutdown staffing issues may slow final steps but called the availability of funds a significant opportunity.

Council members thanked task-force and nonprofit partners for outreach and said they would continue to support coordination and public communication for access to these limited statewide funds.