Tulsa Residents Struggling To Adjust To Rising Costs

People in Tulsa are feeling the strain of inflation, from increased rent prices, food, and gas.

On average, rent prices have gone up 15 percent in about a year, food is up about 10 percent and gas prices keep climbing, leaving people in Green country wondering where to turn.

Tyhita Harding said it's hard to see prices up everywhere, especially at the grocery store and gas station.

"I’m a fulltime door dasher," she said. "With prices jacking up, it seems horrible for me. I have to work 2-3 times harder to make back my gas price plus everything else.”

Tyhita is a mom to an 8-year-old and 3-month-old and said between paying rising rent costs, food, and everything else -- it's becoming hard to manage.

“They make it hard to get food assistance as well. I'm like what can you do, especially with children?" she said.

Inflation has caused prices of everything to go up, and “shrinkflation” means a lot of things in grocery stores are now coming in smaller packages with the same or higher prices.

Gas prices are the highest ever recorded at $4.50 a gallon in Oklahoma right now, and rent has gone up 15 percent in a year.

“We have some residual effects of that," said Keri Cooper about COVID. "Still having increased costs, inflation, supply chain issues.”

Keri Cooper with the Tulsa Apartment Association said most places didn’t raise rent during COVID, but now apartment managers are seeing their costs go up by 20 to 30 percent from supply chain issues and hiring problems.

“The fridges, microwaves, appliances, all those things that break that need to be replaced," Cooper said.

Cooper said Tulsa area apartments are at 95 percent capacity too.

"We are always talking about the need to develop more housing," she said.

“Let's try to come together and do what we need to do," Cooper said.

There are still options for people struggling. Community Care Partners has renters' assistance still out there.

You can also talk to your apartment manager or landlord about what options are available, but it's unclear how long prices will keep going up.

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