Topic: Affordable Housing

Evictions are returning to pre-pandemic levels. That’s not a good thing.

Unless action is taken, Oklahoma evictions will return to problematically high levels. Now is the time for policymakers in our state to adopt bold new policies that give renters the support and protections they need to stay in their homes and communities. [More...]

Evictions as big business: Handful of companies responsible for vast majority of Oklahoma eviction filings

Oklahoma’s long-standing eviction crisis has been slowed by the infusion of millions of dollars in rental assistance during the last year and a half. While it’s heartening to see major investments in keeping people housed, the eviction process itself is broken, and we need to make it work better for both tenants and landlords. [More...]

Turning the tide on evictions: Using federal aid, support to reduce Oklahoma’s eviction crisis

Evictions are lower than they were before the pandemic, but Oklahomans still experience housing insecurity at alarming rates [More...]

CDC eviction moratorium will help, but Oklahoma’s housing crisis still looms large

Data show that eviction filings and orders have accelerated in Oklahoma even after the CDC moratorium took effect on Sept. 4, and Oklahomans remain at risk for eviction through the end of the year. [More...]

Providing legal representation could begin to fix Oklahoma’s broken eviction process

While we cannot legislate away the pandemic, we can better structure and operate our justice system to ensure that every tenant knows their rights and understands the process.  [More...]

Reopening Oklahoma’s courts must be done thoughtfully to avoid a public health disaster

Oklahoma courts should plan to transition back to normal operations gradually and cautiously in order to avoid exacerbating the spread of the coronavirus or facilitating mass evictions. [More...]

Policymakers must do more to prevent evictions and foreclosures during and after the COVID-19 crisis. We’re tracking these cases with our new Oklahoma Court Tracker tool

The Oklahoma Court Tracker, a tool by OK Policy’s Open Justice Oklahoma program, displays information on who is filing eviction and foreclosure cases and where those cases have been filed. As of April 1, plaintiffs have filed 1,116 evictions and 131 foreclosures since Oklahoma’s emergency declaration on March 15.  [More...]

Evictions currently are suspended in Oklahoma except in cases of “emergency”

Eviction hearings are postponed across the state and that means Oklahomans cannot be forced from their homes by an eviction or foreclosure until April 15 at the earliest. [More...]

New economic rankings show Oklahoma falling further behind

There are quite a few reasons to be optimistic about Oklahoma this year. Unemployment is low and the state expects to have a budget surplus this year, the first in quite some time. But despite this good news, too many Oklahomans are still struggling to make ends meet and build a better future for themselves and their families. For the third straight year, Oklahoma has dropped in the Prosperity Now Scorecard rankings. This year, we rank 43rd in the financial health and overall well-being of our residents - that's down from 34th in 2016. [More...]

2019 Priority: Increase renter protections from landlords who fail to maintain safe properties or file frivolous evictions

Download this fact sheet as a printable pdf here. Read about the rest of OK Policy’s 2019 Legislative Policy Priorities here. Tens of thousands of Oklahoma families face eviction each year. Despite relatively low housing costs, Tulsa and Oklahoma City… Read more [More...]