The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation extended its rental assistance program in Oklahoma to Cherokee citizens who live in Arkansas and Kansas.
Updated on October 13, 2021
While evictions have resumed in Oklahoma, there is still financial help available for tenants struggling to pay their rent and utilities. As of mid-September, Community Cares Partners has spent $61,000,000 for rent and utility assistance.
Updated on October 5, 2021
The Journal Record reports a nonprofit organization that Oklahoma contracted to distribute the majority of the state’s federal emergency rental assistance (ERA) funds has a backlog of 13,000 requests for aid, prompting the program to close applications for the next six weeks. Of the nearly $310 million in federal ERA funds, only 17.4% have been distributed. Restore Hope Ministries, which serves a 20-county region and is partnering with the city of Tulsa and Tulsa County, says about 9,000-10,000 applications are awaiting approval.
The Tulsa Landlord-Tenant Resource Center is now offering on-site ERA application stations for landlords. At these stations, tenants can get help completing an application, upload required documents, ask questions about a pending application, and receive information about tenants rights/responsibilities.
Updated on September 14, 2021
According to data from the Oklahoma Policy Institute,73% more evictions were filed in Tulsain early August compared to early July, and more than double the number of evictions filed from early June. Legal aid attorneys are seeing a dramatic rise in Tulsa landlords using loopholes, such as lease terminations or alleged lease violations, to evict tenants.
Tulsa’s Landlord-Tenant Resource Center and Tulsa County District Courts arecollaboratingto provide eviction prevention information to individuals as they begin the court process.
Updated on August 30, 2021
Thousands of Oklahomans will be at risk for eviction with the expiration of the federal eviction moratorium. According to Open Justice Oklahoma, of the 37,640 evictions filed in Oklahoma since the pandemic began, 15,262 were granted as of July 21. Nearly 29% of those were in Tulsa County.
Updated on August 3, 2021
Tulsa’sbiggest rental assistance provider, Restore Hope Ministries, has distributed more than $3.9 million to tenants since the pandemic began. Officials are finalizing plans to increase rental assistance by 1000% in 2021 to avoid a massive wave of evictions when the eviction moratorium is lifted.
Updated on March 08, 2021
An Oklahoma House committee approved a bill on February 10 that would prevent courts from halting evictions, even during a health emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic. House Bill 1564 says courts have no discretion to extend the terms of a lease. Several supporters of HB1564 on the House Business and Commerce Committee said that anyone who needed rental assistance was able to apply for it. Housing Solutions Executive Director Becky Gligo, however, says thousands of tenants applied for millions of dollars in rental assistance late last year, but there were instances where landlords rejected the funds or took it and then evicted tenants anyway.
Updated on February 17, 2021
The Oklahoman discusses the recent extension of the federal eviction moratorium through March 2021. According to Open Justice Oklahoma, more than 7,200 evictions have been filed in Oklahoma County since the onset of the pandemic, with about 2,000 evictions granted. Oklahoma County recently submitted a request to receive an allocation of the $25 billion emergency rental assistance program established by Congress in December.
Updated on February 01, 2021
Tulsa Worldreports on eviction data indicating that anti-eviction efforts might be assisting middle-class renters more than tenants in Tulsa’s lowest-income neighborhoods. Officials are concerned about a tsunami of evictions that could hit Tulsa in the new year.
Updated on November 30, 2020
Katie Dilks, executive director of the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation, describesTulsa’s eviction crisisas the city’s “silent public health crisis.” Dilks discusses the CDC eviction moratorium and Tulsa County’s CARES Act-funded rental assistance program.
Updated on November 4, 2020
TheOklahoma Policy Institutereports that nearly half of adults in Oklahoma believe they are likely to be evicted or foreclosed upon in the next two months. Data show that eviction filings and orders have increased in Oklahoma even after the CDC moratorium took effect on September 4, and residents remain at risk for eviction through the end of the year.
Updated on October 26, 2020
TheAssociated Pressreports Oklahoma lawmakers are facing pressure from housing and tenants’ rights advocates to reform the state’s eviction laws. 500,000 Oklahomans could face eviction due to high unemployment and other economic consequences from the pandemic.
Big If True,a news nonprofit organization based in Oklahoma City,reports on transparency concerns related to Oklahoma’s closed eviction hearings. Anepisodeof the organization’sHard Resetpodcast discusses advocates’ concerns that many renters are unaware of the CDC eviction moratorium.
Updated on October 14, 2020
TheOklahomanreports that rental assistance and input from Legal Aid have been effective in keeping renters housed during the pandemic. As of September 15, Community CARES Partners had served nearly 400 individuals and provided more than $1 million in housing assistance. Hundreds of evictions still occur each week, thousands are reaching out for assistance, and services for people experiencing homelessness are in high demand.
Updated on October 5, 2020
TheTulsa Housing Authoritylaunched a $20 million Emergency Rental Assistance Program, funded through the CARES Act, in late August.More than 4,400 Tulsa householdshave applied for more than $6.7 million in rent assistance.
Updated on September 22, 2020
According to the Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, there could be130,000 evictionsin the state if Congress does not provide additional resources and protections.
Updated on August 25, 2020.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, theCity of Norman, OKpaused terminations on delinquent water, sewer and trash utility accounts in May. Beginning this week, terminations will resume on accounts that have not paid per the city’s policy for collection. Support for rental and utility assistance is available through the city.
Updated on August 11, 2020.
On June 19, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced that the state is allocating$10 million in Coronavirus Relief Fundstoward an Eviction Mitigation grant program. The Eviction Mitigation program will reimburse organizations paying landlords for rental assistance to households impacted by COVID-19. The program will be administered through local non-profits.
Updated on June 29, 2020.
Tulsa County
Marketplaceexamines Tulsa’s eviction crisis that had existed even before the pandemic. The Tulsa County courthouse reopened on June 1, with more than 1,200 eviction cases pending.
Updated on June 29, 2020.
