Fight to end homelessness in city is personal for Zarrow family
Date Published: December 6, 2007
Gail Richards, a daughter of philanthropist Jack Zarrow's, spoke to the Tulsa Rotary Club on Wednesday about the Building Tulsa, Building Lives project to provide housing for the homeless.
Richards' 54-year-old sister was diagnosed in her 20s with schizophrenia. At times, her sister was home less because of how the disease affected her.
"Even with our financial means, finding housing was the most difficult part for our family to obtain," Richards said. "Unfortunately, her experience is not unique."
The Zarrow families have been supportive of homeless and mental-health issues in Tulsa for decades. The Day Center for the Homeless is on land donated by Henry Zarrow, who also led the effort to build the center.
Richards and her mother, Maxine Zarrow, have been active on the board of the Mental Health Association in Tulsa for many years. Richards and her cousin Judy Kishner, a daughter of philanthropist Henry Zarrow, started an effort last year to find a way to house Tulsa's chronically homeless permanently.
"We now know that providing shelter is not enough," Richards said. "We are committed to finding affordable housing in Tulsa, starting with the homeless." The Zarrow Families Foundation has gathered support to form a coalition including Mayor Kathy Taylor and more than 15 groups, among them the Tulsa Housing Authority, Morton Health clinic and Goodwill Industries.
"We could be the first city to end chronic homelessness," Richards said. "We would be No. 1 on a list somewhere." The effort started when the downtown YMCA announced that it would close its housing program by 2010. About 140 residents live in the low-income units.
Another impetus is the downtown redevelopment effort centered on the September opening of the BOK Center. "We have a perfect opportunity in Tulsa," Kishner said. "We really need to address the downtown homeless, and the way to do that is to find people a permanent housing situation."
The plan is similar to a program of the Mental Health Association in Tulsa's. It has 200 scattered units throughout the city and brings services to the residents. About 80 percent never return to homelessness.
Most housing programs now have requirements such as staying sober or not having a criminal record. The Building Tulsa, Building Lives project would provide housing first, then follow up with services.
Kishner said locations are being sought, and the units would not be in concentrated areas or all downtown. "Looking at other cities, when you want a vibrant area, you need mixed-use housing," she said. "You cannot do it with all high-end housing."
Using a variety of sources, Kishner outlined how a person receiving minimum wage can't afford an average one-bedroom apartment. About 26 percent of Tulsans are at risk of homelessness.
The project is seeking funds from government and private sources. It also plans to seek a type of "anti-panhandling" city ordinance, Kishner said. She said shelters can be a starting point for people without a home.
"We need to stop the revolving door," Kishner said. "Even though the shelters are doing a wonderful job taking care of people and helping them, there is no place to transition them into housing that is affordable."
