Due to warm weather in Tulsa’s long-range forecast, the city is planning to close its winter shelter Friday. The move comes about three weeks earlier than anticipated.
While there are thunderstorms in the short-range forecast, temperatures are expected to hover around the mid-60s, even hitting the 70s on some days.
A late February email to city councilors from Emily Hall, the mayor’s senior advisor on homelessness, said mental health services provider CREOKS and other partners were hosting a pop-up resource fair for people staying at the shelter. That includes connecting them to services for mental health, employment, education and more.
During the “ramp-down” period, Hall said the city didn’t backfill beds. However, the city is working on a transportation and outreach plan to “mitigate the impact to surrounding neighborhoods.”
The shelter, located at 7216 E. Admiral Place in east Tulsa, opened Nov. 17 and was set to be available until March 31. During the January winter storm, the shelter operated at capacity with 250 people staying there.
As of Feb. 20, about $770,660 of the $1.6 million for the emergency shelter had been spent.
The city said they will have more information in the coming weeks about how many people received services since the November opening.
