Task force mobilizes to address local homelessness

Almost one year after Winter Storm Uri brought weeks of sub-freezing temperatures to Bartlesville, initiating a community-wide effort to create a makeshift warming shelter for those vulnerable to the dangerous temperatures, local leaders are close to finalizing a more permanent response for similar situations.

However, what started as a push to create an organized, prompt plan for assisting the unsheltered in dangerously cold temperatures has morphed into so much more — a 20-person task force working to assess and address the long-term needs of the local homeless population.

The group, which has dubbed its effort “Home for a Night,” includes representatives of 11 entities, including the Bartlesville Regional United Way, Grand Lake Mental Health Center, City of Bartlesville and Washington County agencies and several local nonprofits.

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“It really is a collaboration of all sectors so we can meet people where they are,” BRUW president Lisa Cary said.

“We’re really trying to, across the community, have a response that will not only be helpful immediately, but sustainable. That’s why we were interested in bringing together all of these folks at the table. With the collaboration … we’re able to bring in ideas that will really help us not only meet those needs immediately, but help them in the future.”

It started in the fall when Disciples Christian Church Rev. Kelley Becker requested a meeting with Cary. Winter Storm Uri brought to her attention that existing local resources did not meet the needs of the local unsheltered population and she wanted to do more, Becker said.

So the women made a list of local leaders and organizations who could lend insight and organized the task force, which soon held regular meetings. First, the group is focusing on the short-term need for plans to assist the local unsheltered population in the event of dangerously low temperatures.

The group designated the Washington County Fairgrounds as a primary warming shelter — it is less centrally located than the group wants, but would best fit the needs of the situation if it arises again, Cary said.

Next, the group decided on a weather forecast of 15 degrees or lower for more than 48 hours as the threshold for triggering the need for the emergency warming shelter.

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“We can open up the shelter at the first sign of cold temperatures, but if it’s just going to be a one-night thing, then the sense the Bartlesville Police Department and others around the table had was that people would just try to weather it,” Becker said.

If the threshold is met, Mary Martha Outreach and Agape Mission will provide food and the Washington County Emergency Management Agency will provide blankets and cots for use at the shelter.

City Ride and BPD officers will offer transportation to anyone needing to use the warming shelter, as well as transportation to a facility with showers, as the fairgrounds do not have any.

Currently, the task force is working to secure a training program for volunteers. Once that is set up, it will solicit volunteers who would be willing to train and be ready in case they are needed.

On days when the weather is bad, but does not meet the criteria for the warming shelter, the committee has arranged for donations of blankets, hats, gloves and hygiene kits to be provided to BPD officers, who can distribute them.

Throughout this process, however, Becker said the group realized they do not have a good idea of how many people in Bartlesville are struggling with homelessness.

“We do a lot of talk about what we can do to help those who are unsheltered, but every person I’ve ever asked about how many people they think are unsheltered in Bartlesville — nobody really knows. I’ve heard everything from over 200 to maybe 40,” Becker said.

That has led to the second part of the task force’s mission — to better understand the needs of the local homeless population and create more long-term resources.

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On Jan. 30, committee members and BPD officers will travel Bartlesville, conducting a point-in-time homeless population count. This will provide a baseline to further coordinate services, such as applying for federal aid and creating more permanent shelter and food assistance.

“My hope is that we’ll have a good idea of exactly how many people we’re talking about and, with that, how many desire shelter and what we can do to help them. The options that are available in Bartlesville don’t work for everybody,” Becker said.

Current options for individuals struggling with homelessness include The Cottages on Sixth Street, a nonprofit development of tiny homes for rent at discounted rates, and The Lighthouse Outreach Center, which provides temporary shelter and food.

Both have limited space, however, and strict guidelines not all unsheltered people can meet. This was especially apparent during Winter Storm Uri, when the Lighthouse was full, and at least 30 people a day sought shelter at the temporary warming shelter.

Cary said the goal of creating additional resources will be to extend, rather than replace, what the Lighthouse offers.

“There is an unmet need in our community where we’ve seen an increase in the homelessness population and we’re just trying to come together and collaborate so we can help those folks that may not fit in another program, such as the Lighthouse,” Cary said.

At this point, the task force has not developed a lot of detail as to what those long-term solutions will look like. Once it completes plans for the warming shelter and the point-in-time count, however, they will further consider what those solutions look like.

“We’re really wanting to make sure we all the processes in place and all the ducks in a row so that when we launch this long-term thing it’s successful, has momentum and has the backing of key partners in our community,” Cary said.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Task force created to help homeless in Bartlesville