$16 million renovation of new homeless shelter, The Harbor, expected by Dec. 2026
Tulsa, OKLA. (March 24, 2026) – The $16 million renovation and construction of a new low-barrier, 24/7 homeless shelter called The Harbor is underway at the former Tulsa County Juvenile Detention Center at 315 S. Gilcrease Museum Rd. Conversion of about half the 43,000 sq. ft. space is expected to be completed by Dec. 2026.
The Harbor goals include:
Increasing the number of individuals accessing emergency shelter in Tulsa by 180 per day/night and by more than 2,300 people annually.
Dramatically reducing the time individuals spend on the streets or in encampments; and
Increasing the number of individuals who move into permanent housing in Tulsa.
“Today, Tulsa takes a tangible step toward achieving the goal of functional zero homelessness by adding significant low barrier shelter capacity to reduce street sleeping while providing comprehensive services that foster long-term stability,” said Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols. “Through a community approach in our efforts and the collaborative partnerships with The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation and The Harbor LLC partners, we are finding ways across Tulsa to tackle homelessness and make a difference in the lives of individuals across our city.”
Harbor LLC is owned and managed by The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, solely for the purpose of developing and launching the Harbor. The effort is led by an advisory board consisting of the Ruth Nelson Family Foundation, homeless services provider City Care, the City of Tulsa Mayor’s Office, Tulsa Day Center, and Housing Solutions. City Care, currently headquartered in Oklahoma City, is the identified operator for shelter programs at The Harbor given their success; 95% of residents in City Care's supportive housing program remain stably housed after one year.
“The Harbor will provide a true value add to Tulsa’s homeless community and service providers. More important than 24-hour-a-day-shelter, it will be a springboard to help those who have the most difficulty finding more permanent housing. In addition, many of the barriers to using temporary shelter, including dogs, extensive belongings, or mandatory programs are taken away,” said Bill Major, president of The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation. “That service will take a special operator, and City Care is already doing that same work in Oklahoma City. We are fortunate to have them on board.”
The Harbor low-barrier shelter is grounded in the philosophy that everyone, regardless of circumstances or challenges, deserves a safe place to stay. The Harbor will ensure that access to available emergency shelter is immediate, without requiring people to meet certain conditions like sobriety, pet restrictions, employment, or enrollment in prescribed programs. By lowering the barriers to entry, this effort will ensure that the most vulnerable — those who might not fit the traditional criteria for assistance — are not left outside or on the street. The Harbor will also be a platform for robust housing navigation and social services referrals.
"A harbor is a place of shelter and refuge,” said Tulsa City Councilor Laura Bellis, “I’m deeply grateful for the public - private partnership bringing forth such a place, our city’s first 24/7 low barrier shelter. Crosbie Heights is a neighborhood highly impacted by our nation’s housing crisis and I am grateful to the neighbors and business owners for compassionately embracing this core piece of the solution. The Harbor will be transformative in addressing street sleeping, supporting housing access, and increasing public safety."
Phase I construction aims for completion by December 2026. The 43,000 sq. ft. facility will initially open with 23,000 sq. ft. of shelter space, a commercial kitchen and fully equipped kennel for 38 dogs. The construction cost is estimated to be $16M, with an additional $1M in developer costs for planning, engineering, design, and operating launch costs. Phase II will be planned after 12-to-24 months of successfully operations.
“The Tulsa community continues to demonstrate its belief that people deserve opportunities for immediate shelter and pathways to long-term housing stability. By pairing low-barrier shelter access with strong housing navigation and wrap around supports, The Harbor removes barriers to permanent housing. We are proud to support an approach that not only brings people inside but helps ensure they build a stable foundation for the future.”
The property, the former Tulsa County Juvenile Detention Center, was acquired by the City of Tulsa from Tulsa County for $500,000. With the approval of City Council, the City of Tulsa transferred ownership of the property to The Harbor LLC in March 2026. Approached by the City of Tulsa in early 2025, private donors worked in advance to execute early feasibility testing, design, and identified an experienced low-barrier shelter operator, City Care. Preliminary feasibility and costs were determined by donors in Spring 2025. A project manager, architect, and contractor were secured in Fall 2025 by The Harbor LLC.
The City Mayor’s office and City Council are working together to determine a budgetary pathway for providing some ongoing operating support for The Harbor and the many other outstanding organizations working to eliminate homelessness in Tulsa.
The Harbor property will be initially owned by Harbor LLC and guided by its Advisory Steering Committee. The property will be managed by City Care of Oklahoma City, with oversight of every aspect of shelter operations.
Since 1996, City Care of Oklahoma City has been dedicated to the restoration of lives that have gotten off course by addressing the root causes of poverty and homelessness. Ninety-five percent of clients at its low-barrier shelter in Oklahoma City remained stably housed after one year.
"Our work is grounded in the belief that each of our neighbors deserves a dignified, low-barrier path to shelter and safety," said Rachel Freeman, President and Chief Executive Officer at City Care. "We look forward to bringing our model of care to the Tulsa community and collaborating with partners across the city to ensure those experiencing homelessness have access to the vital resources they need."
Once operations are launched and stabilized within the community, the facility ownership will transfer to a demonstrated effective operator with a local nonprofit board overseeing the organization.
Tulsa’s Larger Homelessness Service Coordination
Since 2020, Housing Solutions has served as Tulsa’s coordinator for data and support for the community’s homeless services efforts. Housing Solutions convenes A Way Home for Tulsa, the continuum of care collaborative made up of more than 60 cross-sector organizations working to address homelessness in the Tulsa area.
Over the past six years, this collaborative effort has significantly increased federal investment in Tulsa, growing annual HUD funding from $3M to $8.6 million. During that same period, the system expanded its capacity to connect people to housing. In 2025 alone, housing placements increased by 24%, resulting in 1,091 individuals moving into housing.
In 2025, the City of Tulsa lent its support to the community’s response by launching Safe Move Tulsa. Supported by $6M in City funding and nearly $4M from corporate leaders, the initiative focuses on unsheltered homelessness by coordinating outreach services, housing placements and encampment closures into a unified strategy.
