A Frontier Investigation
Oklahoma is using state troopers and heavy equipment to clear homeless encampments. The Frontier is documenting what happens next.
The Frontier’s reporting
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation SAFE has cleared homeless encampments from state land in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Norman. But what has followed hasn’t been consistent. The state agreed to spend up to $800,000 for housing and support services for people displaced in Oklahoma City, while Norman officials said they weren’t offered similar funding. Service providers there said the state gave them little time to prepare for dozens of displaced people.
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Sen. Lisa Standridge has asked the state to clear tents in Norman three times. She has also sought to move dozens of unhoused residents to Oklahoma City.
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Oklahoma troopers returned to Norman for a second Operation SAFE sweep, displacing dozens of people who say they have nowhere else to go. The eviction came as the state threatened to bill Tulsa and Oklahoma City for the costs of clearing encampments.
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The sweep displaced dozens and gave local shelters and other service providers little time to prepare.
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Oklahoma has agreed to spend up to $800,000 to house about 40 people after Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation SAFE — a shift from his earlier opposition to using tax dollars for homelessness housing.
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State officials are negotiating a deal to cover the cost of rent and other services for people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City, a move that contrasts sharply with the approach taken in Tulsa.
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After a crackdown on Tulsa homeless encampments, confusion remains over who can enforce an Oklahoma law that makes it illegal to camp on state property.
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Listen Frontier: Gov. Stitt says compassion has limits as state troopers clear Tulsa homeless camps
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We’ll continue tracking where the state carries out sweeps, what happens to people who are displaced and how Oklahoma officials respond to homelessness. If you’ve been affected by Operation SAFE, work with people who have or know something we should investigate, we want to hear from you.
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