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Bartlesville
Posted: Mar 10, 2025 10:35 AMUpdated: Mar 10, 2025 10:35 AM
CITY MATTERS: Bartlesville Homelessness Committee
Tom Davis
The Bartlesville City Council's homelessness committee is gaining some ground in addressing the city's unsheltered population.
Appearing on KWON's CITY MATTERS program, City Manager Mike Bailey explained that the committee is composed of 13 voting members and two non-voting participants. The group has been actively gathering data and assessing solutions to the growing issue.
Bailey, Former Mayor Tom Gorman, and Rachel Showler of Grand Lake Mental Health discussed the committee's efforts and findings on the show. Gorman also owns multiple residential units in the area. He provided a unique perspective on the issue, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between property owners, service providers, and city officials.
Bailey likes the committee’s work, so far. “We had to first know what the problem was and understand what we didn’t know,” he said. The committee has conducted thorough research, including outreach programs and point-in-time counts, to assess the scale of homelessness in Bartlesville.
One of the big discoveries was the confirmation that the majority of Bartlesville’s homeless population has strong ties to the community. “The data all seems to point to the fact that most individuals experiencing homelessness here are from Bartlesville or have close family connections to the area,” Showler noted. This insight challenges the perception that people are being brought into the city from outside sources.
The task force has also been exploring policy recommendations to better support both the homeless population and property owners affected by unauthorized encampments. Gorman emphasized the need for balanced solutions that integrate compassion with accountability. “The committee understands that there is some degree of accountability we have to have while at the same time not forgetting compassion,” he stated.
The committee is expected to present recommendations to the city council, including potential ordinances to address trespassing on private property and strategies for expanding supportive services. Council Member Aaron Kirkpatrick’s framework, Highway Out of Homelessness, has served as a guiding document for discussions.
City leaders say they remain committed to finding sustainable solutions that benefit both the homeless population and the broader Bartlesville community. “It’s been a really good educational process,” Bailey said. “I hope we can push out a broad-based solution that helps everyone understand the situation better.”
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