Tulsa Standard

On Monday, March 6, 2023, the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Equity (MORE) and the Community Service Council (CSC) released the fifth annual Tulsa Equality Indicators report, with results showing an overall increase from the 2018 baseline.

Tulsa’s aggregate City Score for 2022 is 42.85 out of 100, which is greater than any of the scores from the previous four report years (prior years’ scores have been adjusted for indicator changes). This suggests Tulsa may be improving in regard to equality on some of the 54 indicators.

Compared to the baseline scores from 2018, Tulsa’s average scores for 2022 have increased in five of the six themes - Economic Opportunity, Education, Housing, Public Health, and Services. The Justice theme’s score has declined.

Using methodology developed by the City University of New York, Institute for State and Local Governance (CUNY ISLG), the report uses 54 indicators equally distributed across six themes to measure and track the level of inequality in Tulsa. Each indicator is scored on a scale from 1 (high inequality) to 100 (high equality).

This year, the highest scoring indicators were “Dropping out by income,” “Housing complaints by geography,” and “VA appointment wait time,” each with a score of 100. The lowest scoring indicator was “Payday loans and banks by geography,” with a score of 1.

“Tulsa has improved its Equality Score since 2018 with increases in the education, housing, public health, and services themes, and we will continue to use these scores to look at ways to ensure that every Tulsan, no matter where they live or what their background may be, has an opportunity for a healthy life,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “That work happens in partnership with our robust network of nonprofit organizations, local businesses, faith-based institutions, and government partners who are all making Tulsa better every day.”

"The Community Service Council is privileged to partner with the City of Tulsa in producing the fifth edition of the Equality Indicators report," Community Service Council CEO Pam Ballard said. "Shining a light on inequitable situations is difficult. I applaud our city leaders for their diligence in continuing to measure our progress toward greater equality across areas, which require strong focus as we strive to build a more equitable and just community for all Tulsans."

"Our city is home to many innovators, community-builders, and leaders,” said Marcia Bruno-Todd, Deputy Director of Leadership Tulsa. We are excited to collaborate collectively with our neighbors to tackle some of our biggest challenges and innovate towards a thriving Tulsa for all."

Explore the full 2022 Tulsa Equality Indicators Report, review past reports, and discover learning opportunities at Tulsaei.org.

Equality Indicators Learning Series AnnouncedLeadership Tulsa is partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Equity (MORE) to host a learning series on the Equality Indicators. Participants will get hands on experience with the report to make data informed decisions for organizational policies, strategies, and community collaborations to build towards a thriving Tulsa for all. The first session is scheduled for April 14 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Those interested in participating can email christianna@leadershiptulsa.org.

Original source can be found here