A diversion program in Kalamazoo, Mich., prevented 360 evictions (719 adults and 363 children) at a cost of $1,067 per eviction in state and local funds. That compares to $10,990 in taxpayer costs per-eviction it would take to evict and re-house them.

1. Preventing Homelessness

• 1.A: Eviction Diversion and Mediation Program
• 1.B: Discharge Planning Liaison Program
• 1.C: Transitional Housing for Ex-Offenders
• 1.D: Increase and Expand Low-Barrier Employment Options
• 1.E: Advocate for Tenant Protection Legislation Like HB 3710 and/or Similar Legislation

Prevention efforts focus on residents who would otherwise become homeless, or re-enter homelessness, without intervention. Read the entire section here (pages 29-43 of the full report).

1.A.: Eviction Prevention and Diversion

Oklahoma City is the 20th-worst city in the country for evictions -- 18 households every day. An eviction's cascading effects can hurt children's school performance and their parents' credit scores, employment and health for years. People who have been evicted are much more likely to continue facing housing instability.

OKC's strategy focuses on ensuring every tenant has legal representation when facing eviction, and a flexible multi-year grant program for services that help households stabilize with a roof over their head.

1.B: Discharge Planning Liaison

Discharge planning helps people exiting hospitals, correctional facilities or foster care who need help transitioning into the community in a residential setting. It could begin anywhere from immediately when someone enters a facility for care, to about a year before they leave.

This report calls for a three-year development program to track outcomes through this process implemented via local partners, targeted funding sources and hire more staff if necessary.

1.C: Transitional Housing for Ex-Offenders

About 1 in 10 people leaving jails or prisons (up to 1 in 5 for people with mental illnesses) experience homelessness in the months following incarceration. Most live in metro areas. But evidence shows helping people find housing post-incarceration reduces future jail bookings by more than 50%. 

Oklahoma City's strategies recommend securing funding for units, staff and 3 years of operating costs for a communal-type transitional housing program that connects residents with services, employment opportunities and permanent housing.

1.D: Increase and Expand Low-Barrier Employment Options

The Curbside Chronicle, A Better Way and Sasquatch Shaved Ice are leading local examples of how low-barrier employment that requires little training help people move out of homelessness, and not fall into or back into it. Beyond a job, it connects people to community resources and develops skills for better employment opportunities. 

In Oklahoma City, funding to expand and add to these programs, and build partnerships with existing local businesses, can move the approach forward.

1.E: Advocate for Tenant Protection Legislation Like HB 3710 and/or Similar Legislation

State-level legislation is needed to protect tenants at risk of eviction in Oklahoma. HB 3710 from 2020 could help tenants by protecting them from retaliatory evictions, and would allow them to withhold rent for units in disrepair. The bill wasn't heard on the Legislature's floor when it was introduced. But it could be re-introduced or a new, similar bill could be filed.

Read the full Preventing Homelessness section here (pages 29-43 of the full report).

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