A new online handbook aims to direct young homeless people to resources for everything from housing to health care.
“These are lifesaving resources and tools for what is our greatest asset, which is our young people,” said Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols during a launch event Wednesday night at Mother Road Market.
During his remarks, Nichols reiterated his efforts to get to functional zero homelessness by 2030. That means creating a support system where homelessness in Tulsa is rare and brief. “We can't do it without these types of tools and resources.”
The nonprofit Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, corporate sponsors Helmerich & Payne and Williams and global law firm Baker McKenzie collaborated to create the Oklahoma homeless youth handbook.
It took nearly two years to complete.
Oklahoma is now one of 12 states and Washington D.C. to have this type of digital resource.
Baker McKenzie Pro Bono Partner Jaclyn Pampel helped design this and other handbooks. She said each location’s handbook is different.
“Every single handbook is drafted on the grounds of what's available in the state,” She said. “The questions might be similar between handbooks, but the answers are going to be based on what is the state law.”
The handbook does not offer legal advice, but does offer information about a variety of topics that impact young homeless people at the local and federal level.
“Our consumer and credit chapter has some federal components and some state,” Pampel said when discussing similarities and differences between handbooks throughout the country. “Our immigration undocumented youth chapter is largely federal in nature, but we need to make sure that those chapters have those local laws and local resources because that's what's helpful to the young people.”
The handbook will also be printed for distribution. Before that happens suggestions for changes and additions can be made by emailing probono@bakermckenzie.com.
The deadline to submit suggestions is Jan. 15.
