Leaders call attention to complex issues of homelessness

OKLAHOMA CITY — Splashy government interventions, like those launched recently to sweep away homeless encampments in Tulsa, won’t solve highly complex issues related to people being chronically unsheltered, people from all corners of the state who gathered Tuesday for a forum held by the Oklahoma Municipal League were told.

Neither will well-meaning smaller efforts, such as those often organized by churches or community groups to provide meals or clothing for the unhoused.

Rather, those at the meeting heard that immensely difficult problems related to homelessness require multifaceted solutions and efforts coordinated by multiple partners and sustained over time.

More than 700 mayors, councilmembers, trustees, city managers, clerks and other municipal professionals signed up to attend t