New Midtown Sober Living House Offers Wraparound Support for Tulsans in Recovery

TULSA, Okla. — A newly restored Midtown residence is opening its doors to Tulsans navigating the path to addiction recovery, providing more than just a place to stay.

Thrive Transitional Housing, a local recovery transition organization, officially celebrated the opening of its newest sober living house with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Located at 1379 E. 13th St. in Tulsa's Cherry Street neighborhood, the three-story home—named LeAnna in memory of the property manager’s late mother—has been fully transformed from a once-dilapidated property into a fully furnished, three-bedroom, six-bed luxury facility.

The house offers a structured environment designed to guide residents toward long-term independence.

'A Program From the Inside Out'

Thrive operator Melissa Barron emphasized that the initiative goes beyond basic shelter.

"This is not just a head in the bed," Barron said. "This is a program from the inside out."

Residents at LeAnna receive holistic, wraparound support, including assistance with:

Securing stable employment

Obtaining reliable transportation

Accessing local mental health resources

Long-term transition planning into independent housing

The home is open to anyone who qualifies and meets eligibility criteria, with the exception of individuals convicted of sex offenses. Tenants can stay as long as needed, provided they maintain their commitment to sobriety and recovery.

Grassroots Roots and Local Partnerships

Thrive Transitional Housing was founded in 2021 by Barron and her husband, Jermaine Walker. Both Tulsa natives, the couple shared lived experiences with homelessness and family struggles tied to addiction, driving their mission to support Tulsans who feel out of options.

"I’ve dealt with my mother and father having everything, to losing everything to addiction... so at times we were homeless," Walker said. "We gotta be that bridge that everybody burnt down."

The project was largely self-funded by Barron and Walker until they connected earlier this year with Darnell Blackmon, Chairman of The Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce. The resulting partnership helped push the project to completion without relying on government grants.

District 1 Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper, a founding board member of the chamber, joined leaders at Wednesday's ribbon cutting to celebrate the milestone.

During the ceremony, Thrive received official certification from the Oklahoma Alliance for Recovery Resources (OARR).

Looking Ahead

With one tenant already moved in, leaders expect the home to reach its full six-resident capacity by the end of August.

The initiative may also serve as a blueprint for future community development. The Black Wall Street Chamber announced preliminary plans to establish a broader "sober living park" in Tulsa, with early discussions currently underway alongside local builders and architects.