Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was established in 1889 as a railroad water depot called Oklahoma Station. Today, it is the State's capital and largest city with a population of 444,719. Its expansive approach to growth has produced a city whose land area now includes 629 square miles. It is near the population and geographic centers of the continental United States.
For the first year of this Consolidated Plan, Oklahoma City has requested $6.8 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, $2.3 million in Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds, and $244,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds for 27 housing, infrastructure, and public facility projects.
Citizen involvement in developing this plan was built upon a process that led to the submission of an Empowerment Zone-Enterprise Community application which continues through a steering committee and four work groups. Four evening meetings were held in accessible locations to inform citizens about available funds and to solicit their input to the planning process. The Citizens Committee for Community Development continues as an active advisory committee to the City Council and an oversight committee for the CDBG and HOME programs. The plan was adopted by the City Council on May 3, 1995.
Oklahoma City is a sprawling city that is located primarily in Oklahoma County, but also includes parts of Canadian, Cleveland, and Pottawatomie Counties. Most counties have a variety of taxing jurisdictions that provide services such as libraries, vocational schools, and health departments. School districts are independent of city and county governments. While 24 school districts serve Oklahoma City, about half of the children are served by Oklahoma City Public Schools. The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments provides a forum for regional planning for more than 30 communities in the 4 counties.
Urban development in Oklahoma City is guided by a comprehensive plan adopted in 1990. It has divided the city into four development areas based on availability of core public services: Inner Loop, Urban Growth, Urban Reserve, and Rural.
Civilian employment in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area increased steadily from 1980 through 1986, and then decreased. Since 1991 the number of jobs has remained steady. However, the city's economy is sensitive to trends in the volatile oil industry. Unemployment, which has fluctuated, was 5.9 percent in 1994. Total employment in 1991 was 561,062, with government, services, and retail trade making up the largest sectors.
Oklahoma City has a population of 444,719. Its racial composition is 75 percent white, 16 percent African American, 5 percent Hispanic, and 2.4 percent Asian American. In the area designated as the Empowerment Zone, however, minorities make up 63 percent of the population. Six census tracts are more than 90 percent African American.
Persons under age 18 make up 26 percent of Oklahoma City's population and 30 percent of the Empowerment Zone population. At the other end of the age spectrum, elderly persons make up 12 percent of the city's population and 15 percent of the Empowerment Zone population.
There are 178,662 households in Oklahoma City, 18,046 of which are in the Empowerment Zone. Median household income in Oklahoma City is $25,741, compared to only $11,803 in the Empowerment Zone.
On April 19, 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City was destroyed by an explosion. In an apparent act of terrorism, more than 160 lives were lost and extensive damage was done to commercial and residential structures in the surrounding area. Although the full extent of the bombing's impact on the Oklahoma City community cannot be measured at this time, a major planning effort was initiated to rebuild the damaged area. A significant part of the planning involves developing public confidence in the security of work and residential environments in and around the central business district of downtown Oklahoma City.
Housing Needs
Nearly 13 percent of rental housing units and 6.2 percent of owner units in Oklahoma City are substandard, equating with 13,145 substandard rental units and 8,096 substandard owner units. Approximately 99 percent of substandard housing in the city is considered to be rehabilitative.
Since 1970 the city has experienced a boom period in housing construction that has led to the development of approximately 100,000 new housing units. Between 1980 and 1984, 32,403 units were constructed. An additional 14,022 units were constructed between 1985 and 1988.
Of the 178,688 occupied housing units in Oklahoma City, 106,349 (60 percent) are owner occupied while 72,339 (40 percent) are renter occupied. There are 33,705 vacant housing units in the city giving vacancy rates of 18 percent for rental housing units and 6 percent for units for sale. In 1990 the median value of housing units for sale was $54,900 while the median monthly rent was $282.
Among the renter households in Oklahoma City, 15,797 (22 percent) are considered extremely low-income (those earning 0-30 percent of median family income [MFI]). Almost 33 percent of these households are considered severely cost burdened (those paying more than half of their income for housing) and 58 percent are considered cost burdened (those paying more than 30 percent of their income for housing). Of the 11,337 very low-income households (those earning 31-50 percent of MFI), 53 percent are cost burdened and 10 percent are severely cost burdened. Only 10 percent of low-income renter households (those earning 51-80 percent of MFI) are cost burdened.
Slightly more than half of extremely low-income owner-occupied households are severely cost burdened. About 19 percent of very low-income owner-occupied households are severely cost burdened. Four percent of low-income owner-occupied households are severely cost burdened.
About 55 percent of very low-income households and 40 percent of low-income households are headed by elderly persons.
A 1-day survey commissioned by the Governor's Advisory Committee on the Homeless in 1994 counted 879 persons in Oklahoma City homeless shelters and 172 homeless persons on the streets. The maximum number of persons that city shelters can accommodate is 1,022. The city reports that many of its homeless have special needs in regard to alcohol and substance abuse problems and/or mental illness.
To increase the availability of housing for those with special needs, the city purchased and rehabilitated a 22-unit apartment facility for homeless persons with serious mental illness. An additional 17 properties containing 24 dwelling units were purchased by 5 local nonprofit organizations for use as transitional housing for families and individuals considered at risk of becoming homeless.
The Oklahoma City Housing Authority owns and operates 3,141 public housing units and manages a Section 8 program with an allocation of 3,058 units. The Housing Authority also oversees 575 Section 202 units for the elderly. Although the city anticipates no loss of its public housing stock in the near future, they do expect a need for additional units of elderly housing.
In addition, there are 935 assisted family units in Oklahoma City developed under other government programs.
As part of its Consolidated Plan, Oklahoma City reviewed public policies affecting the availability of affordable housing. After examining land use controls such as zoning ordinances, building codes and fees, and growth limits, the city determined that none of its existing polices are serious barriers to affordable housing.
There are 135,316 housing units in Oklahoma City considered to have lead-based paint hazards. Testing for lead poisoning is conducted by the State, which reports lead poisoning rates of 10 to 13 percent. It is believed that the real source of elevated lead levels in this area is from mining areas and other contaminated sources, rather than lead-based paint. Nevertheless, the city will continue to use available funding sources for lead-based paint abatement. Notices will continue to be provided to all housing assistance applicants regarding the dangers. Abatement will be required in every rehabilitation contract where the presence of lead-based paint is known or presumed to exist.
In its Consolidated Plan, Oklahoma City lists obstacles that impede social and economic development, including:
The Consolidated Plan describes several long-term goals to improve the quality and affordability of the city's housing stock. These goals include:
Oklahoma City ranks improving its infrastructure and its public facilities as high priorities. Specifically, these improvements include sidewalk repairs and improvements to the city's 135 parks, which include 90 tennis courts and 62 swimming pools. The city estimates that it will cost $437,000 to meet its park/recreational facilities needs, and $688,000 to meet its sidewalk and other infrastructure improvement needs.
The city also reports a need to create more health care facilities, recreational programs, and small business startup programs, and to improve drug prevention and treatment programs.
It is estimated that 69,016 persons, or 16 percent of Oklahoma City's population, live below the poverty level. To decrease the number of persons in poverty, the city will focus on economic development projects that offer employment opportunities for lower income persons. The city currently administers a job training program and cooperates with the Private Industry Council in developing a "Youthbuild" program for hands-on learning of construction skills. Housing and supportive services programs will be used to return persons to fully productive lives.
To implement its 5-year plan, the city will continue to utilize all available Federal, State, and local resources. Nonprofit organizations are expected to play important roles in this plan. The city will also continue to explore new avenues among both public and private resources to widen its base of potential funding.
The Oklahoma City Planning Department is the lead agency in the coordination of the Consolidated Plan. The Planning Department consults with a variety of business and community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and social service agencies to prioritize housing and community development needs and carry out effective implementation strategies.
During the upcoming year the city plans to spend approximately $9,700,000 in CDBG, HOME, and ESG funds on a variety of housing, infrastructure, and public facility projects. The following funding allocations are planned for key projects:
Oklahoma City will focus on the needs of the 29 inner-city tracts surrounding Oklahoma City's central business district -- some of the most economically and physically distressed areas in the city -- that have been designated as an Empowerment Zone.
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within another of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 9 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded project(s) from a street level vantage point; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
