Recent Articles

Lawmakers need to act to help older adults struggling to afford housing

Retirement should be a time of financial stability and a time to enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of work, but for many seniors, retirement comes with housing insecurity and homelessness. Without prompt action, this worrisome trend will become more… Read more [More...]

Fact Check: Floor debate on SB 484 that would limit homelessness services in Oklahoma communities

Background: On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the Oklahoma State Senate passed Senate Bill 484, by Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. SB 484 now advances to the House. SB 484 would prohibit any Oklahoma city with a population less than 300,000 from… Read more [More...]

Raising the minimum wage means more Oklahomans could afford housing

It’s been 16 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Since then, rents have risen by 60 percent. The predictable result of this mismatch is drastic increases in eviction filings and homelessness. [See Oklahoma specific homeless data] Low-wage workers –… Read more [More...]

Housing Choice Voucher

The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a federally funded program that assists low-income households afford housing on the private market. Local public housing agencies receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administer the vouchers in… Read more [More...]

Housing is getting attention at the Capitol this year — some good, some bad

Updated 3/17/2025 to note floor vote on HB 1129. – – – Oklahoma’s housing crisis continues to be a statewide issue as seen through rising evictions, increasing rates of homelessness, and a severe lack of affordable housing options. These growing… Read more [More...]

Homelessness in Oklahoma – Information and Resources

There are many causes to homelessness, but the one central piece we hear time and again is that there is a lack of affordable housing available to everyday Oklahomans. There is a growing disparity between housing costs and wages, not… Read more [More...]

Newly formed Interagency Council on Homelessness of Oklahoma is needed now more than ever (Commentary)

The newly formed Interagency Council on Homelessness of Oklahoma, which is filling the void left by the shuttering of the governor's council. While our council is not officially a state entity, we will carry on our predecessors' work crafting a statewide plan to address homelessness, tracking data, and coordinating care among providers to ensure all Oklahomans have shelter. [More...]

Oklahomans will go another year without solutions to housing crisis (2024 Legislative Wrap-up)

Oklahoma does not have enough housing, especially for low-income families. The state has a severe shortage of housing that is affordable for extremely low-income renters and evictions are on the rise. As pandemic-related rental assistance ends, the situation will become more dire. [More...]

Criminalizing homelessness is harmful and ineffective

Proposals to criminalize homelessness are harmful and counterproductive. Research shows us that the best way to combat homelessness is to increase access to affordable housing. [More...]

A job isn’t enough to afford housing for many Oklahomans

State leaders often say the answer to housing instability is a job – but jobs don’t help if they don’t pay enough. Wages have risen at less than half the rate of rent for the last two decades, putting working… Read more [More...]