TULSA, Okla. — As Oklahoma leaders try to fix the state's housing struggles, a Tulsa lawmaker authored a bill aiming to bring all bodies battling the problem under the same umbrella as the first Oklahoma Affordable Housing Commission.
Rep. Maloyde Blancett didn't mince words when describing the status of Oklahoma's housing availability and what she calls the state legislature's failure to address it in recent years.
"Really, we're in a housing crisis right now, a housing crisis," Rep. Blancett told 2 News.
Oklahoma struggles with homelessness. That's no secret. However, it also ranks among the most expensive states for other necessities like home insurance.
WATCH: 2 News talked to Tulsans experiencing homelessness earlier in April:
Blancett said this worries her when asked to vote for state funding that otherwise enables economic development, like efforts to attract Volkswagen, Panasonic, and others to the state.
"But one of the challenges that some of the larger companies were articulating was, 'Where's the housing for the workforce?'" she said.
Blancett added a quick solution could be a state commission on housing affordability, with goals outlined by The Oklahoma Academy. For State Goals, a non-partisan think tank led by Julie Knutson to fix all aspects of the crisis.
"It's not just metropolitan OKC and metropolitan Tulsa, but also your areas across the state that need help as well," Knutson said.
"(The commission) would all be in one area, kind of a go-to for people to work with."
According to the bill, the commission would have to be bipartisan and consist of 15 volunteer members with housing or banking backgrounds.
Five of them would be appointed by the governor, the senate pro tem, and the House speaker with specific qualifications.
- Previous coverage >>> Solving the affordable housing crisis one family at a time
Blancett said she's confident her bill will become law despite being written by democrats, who are far outnumbered in the capitol. HB2724 already advanced out of committee and is awaiting a Senate vote.
"We're bringing in subject matter experts to give their time to help us be smarter and more intelligent about how we develop housing solutions," Rep. Blancett said.
Meanwhile, officials from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development will visit Oklahoma tribal nations from April 16 through April 19.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) for Public and Indian Housing Richard J. Monocchio and Regional Administrator (RA) Candace Valenzuela "will engage with Tribal Leaders and housing practitioners at the Southern Plains Indian Housing Association (SPIHA) annual meeting on Tuesday, April 16th, highlighting the Administration’s commitment to supporting Tribal communities," a HUD release stated.
Later that day, they will visit the Cherokee Nation. The officials will also visit the Chickasaw Nation and Oklahoma City.
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