News from the City of Oklahoma City

A Better Way is launching in Oklahoma City on Sept. 13 – a local version of a groundbreaking employment program in Tulsa and other communities offering beautification work to people who panhandle.

A Better Way OKC uses mobile outreach with a van that visits people at panhandling hotspots, offering jobs beautifying public spaces instead of asking drivers and pedestrians for money.

“There are many ways that people enter homelessness and so there must be many ways out as well,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.  “The answers aren’t simple.   We have to offer a lot of different options to meet people where they are.  

“We already have a national model with entities like Curbside, but a lot of people in our city were also intrigued and inspired by this program, and its success in Tulsa and other places. The best programs provide benefits to the community on many levels, and ‘A Better Way’ certainly does that. It provides a path for some of our residents who need it the most, while also beautifying our public spaces.  

“My gratitude to everyone who made this program launch possible.”

“Our program in Tulsa has been a great success helping people gain competitive employment and access to services,” said Terri White, CEO of Mental Health Association Oklahoma. It is exciting to see it now in our city thanks to Mayor Holt, the Oklahoma City Council, the United Way of Central Oklahoma, Inasmuch Foundation and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

The van will visit panhandling hotspots from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and offer people lunch and a $65 daily wage for work like litter removal and beautification in parks and other public areas.

 Case Worker Will Connect Participants with Mental Health, Substance Use Counseling

The program also assigns participants to a case manager who will connect them with services they need like mental health services, substance use treatment, healthcare, housing, transportation and most importantly workforce training. The major goal of the program is to help people gain competitive employment and move to self-sufficiency.  An employment specialist will network with local employers to find long-term work for successful participants.

Mental Health Association Oklahoma is providing day-to-day program management for A Better Way OKC. United Way of Central Oklahoma provided $120,000 in seed money, and Inasmuch Foundation contributed $10,000. Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is donating boxed lunches for participants. The City of Oklahoma City is contributing $150,000 in start-up costs plus the van and program oversight.

Mental Health Association Oklahoma launched Tulsa’s program in 2018, modeling it on similar programs elsewhere. In 2020 A Better Way Tulsa served 265 people. Of those,130 were enrolled in mental health and other services; 73 found competitive employment and 4 people experiencing homelessness were permanently housed.

Ongoing community support will be key to the program’s success. Potential employers, service providers or donors can visit abetterwayokc.org for more information and contacts.

Homelessness in OKC

A Better Way is specifically tied to panhandling, but many people who panhandle also experience homelessness. A Better Way is only one of the City of Oklahoma City’s efforts to end homelessness.

Home OKC in the Planning Department manages City programs for people experiencing homelessness, including those tied to federal grants. Visit okc.gov/homeokc for more.

The Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness recently developed its 2021 Strategies to Address Homelessness, a 24-strategy plan to work on problems locally. Read it here at okc.gov/homeokc.

MAPS 4 also includes $50 million specifically for homelessness, plus $40 million for mental health and addiction, $38 million for a Family Justice Center operated by Palomar, $17 million for a criminal justice Diversion Hub and more. Visit okc.gov/maps4 for details.

Along with Mental Health Association, the Homeless Alliance is also a leading partner among many nonprofits helping people who are homeless in Oklahoma City. Visit MHAOK.org or  homelessalliance.org.