Governor Stitt explains his decision to dissolve Interagency Council on Homelessness
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — This week Governor Stitt ended a nearly 20-year-old council focused on homelessness in Oklahoma.
Gov. Stitt dissolved The Governor's Interagency Council on Homelessness on April 12, 2023, and spoke about his decision on Friday, saying he thinks the state needs a, "fresh set of eyes," on the homeless problem.
"Some 25-year-old commission, I didn't think was moving the needle on homelessness," Stitt said.
The Interagency on Homelessness was established in 2004, and according to the state's website, their vision is that every person in Oklahoma will have access to safe, decent, truly affordable housing with the needed resources and support to achieve self-sufficiency,
"Interagency Council on Homelessness looks at not only Oklahoma City's data but looks at every continuum of care in the state," Former GICH Council Member, Greg Shinn said. "There are eight Continuum of Care Tulsa and Oklahoma City are the biggest but there are eight and they encompass all the rural counties as well and no other state organization or body overlooks at the entire homeless count in the homeless population statewide."
But Gov. Stitt says there is really no need for the council anymore.
"I've never seen a report from that commission, that thing has been in existence for over 20/25 years," he said. "Again, the amount of boards and commissions that just kind of get around and hit the taxpayer and you pay him for mileage and all this kind of stuff."
Greg Shinn was a part of the council for over 10 years, and says it actually does not cost the state any money.
"It has huge benefits to the state of Oklahoma and it cost no money to the state," said Shinn, "There's no funding from the state to fund our activities. It's volunteer-driven."
Shinn says the unsheltered homeless population in Oklahoma has increased by 62% in the last eight years.
"So there are more people being left out in the cold with no affordable housing to access disconnected from the services that they need to gain stability in their lives," he said.
He says there is just not enough affordable housing available, but Gov. Stitt says building more housing is not the answer.
"As long as I'm Governor of Oklahoma, we're not going to build housing," Stitt said, "We're going to try to get them to help get them the job that they need."
Gov. Stitt says the state is focused more on mental health and says getting homeless people the help that they need is most important.
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