City of Oklahoma City

PROJECT PURPOSE

OKC is known for having very affordable housing market and this is true for those making at least median income. However, for the 44% of city residents who don?t, the picture is different. Housing affordable to them and in decent condition is increasingly hard to find. Further, over the last decade, housing costs have risen at a faster rate than wages, widening the affordability gap. Minorities and seniors are most affected. Over the last 4 decades the number of people on the street or losing housing has increased. Although impossible to precisely quantify, we know there are thousands experiencing homelessness, affecting the stability of our community. The City?s ARPA Affordable Housing Initiative (AAHI) will provide for improved quantity and quality of affordable housing improving both economic stability and public health outcomes for lower income families. Focus is on increasing the number of permanent supportive and transitional housing units for those homeless or at risk of homelessness, including shelter and services for homeless youth. Goals include increasing affordable rental units, preserving affordability and habitability of new and existing housing, and while funding is available, providing support services including counseling for financial literacy and tenant rights, and developing incentives and partnerships. The $53 M requested from the State would significantly help progress in current efforts. The projected breakdown for these funds in priority order follows: ? Shelter/housing/homeless youth facility - $6M ? Transitional/permanent supportive housing - $20M (This amount estimates 4 properties to be acquired and rehabilitated at $4-5M each and the number completed can be adjusted based on the amount of funding awarded.) ? Winter/severe weather shelter for homeless - $5M ? Subsidy for new affordable housing projects - $10M (The number of projects completed can be altered based on the amount of funding awarded.) ? Housing Services - Down Payment Assistance, housing education, and financial literacy programs, and consulting services to aid in establishment of long-term housing program strategies - $4M. (The number and type of services to be conducted will be prioritized and scaled based on the amount of funding awarded.) ? Housing Rehabilitation program expansion - $8M (The number of projects completed can be altered based on the amount of funding awarded.)

EVIDENCE

Our annual Point in Time count shows thousands of people are experiencing homelessness in our community each year. Issues related to homelessness are complex and affect the stability of the entire community. We recently commissioned two housing related studies. The Strategies to Address Homelessness in Oklahoma City identifies the need for more housing services, affordable housing, transitional housing and services/housing for homeless youth. The Housing Affordability Study outlines current community struggles with housing cost burden and finding safe and quality affordable housing and includes recommendations that support this AAHI proposal.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

There are now more than 68,000 OKC families who are considered ?housing-cost burdened? ?i.e., they spend more than 30% of their gross income on housing, impacting their stability and the economic development potential of our local economy. The stark reality is two people working full-time at minimum wage can?t afford a two-bedroom market rental in OKC without exceeding the recommended 30%. This program will benefit those in lower income households, persons who are experiencing homelessness or threatened with homelessness, and those who are experiencing housing cost burden or substandard housing. Persons in the lower income brackets are disproportionately minority and elderly renter households who are more likely to be underemployed, working multiple jobs or paying more than they can afford for rent. It also includes persons struggling with physical and mental health challenges or substance abuse. The incidence of homelessness and long-term economic distress related to the recent

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

The City has processes for collecting and measuring performance internally and through executed contracts, using project parameters such as beneficiary information, dollars expended, and utilization of minority and small businesses. We report performance to our funders, such as HUD and EPA, and internally to City management and Council. We populate databases and provide narrative reports in various formats. Performance is measured in units built and rehabilitated and in persons served; we would expect those measures to apply here. The City can amend current systems or processes to collect the data the State requires.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma