Oklahoma

NLIHC has estimated a need for no less than $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and broke down the need and cost for each state (download Excel spreadsheet). 

In response to COVID-19 and its economic fallout, many cities and states are creating or expanding rental assistance programs to support individuals and families impacted by the pandemic, and NLIHC is tracking in-depth information on these programs.  

You can use the interactive map and searchable database to find state and local emergency rental assistance programs near you. You can also see the latest news on rental assistance programs through the state-by-state news tracker. Note that this is not a comprehensive list of all rental assistance programs as we continue to update frequently. If you are aware of a program not included in our database, please contact [email protected]. 

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs

Across the country, homeless service providers are struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to follow public health guidelines and help ensure people’s safety, some shelters are being forced to reduce services, restrict admittance, or close entirely. The loss of these critical resources puts people experiencing homelessness at even higher risk of illness. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of shelter closings.

Below is a list of shelters that have had to majorly alter services or completely close:

No information at this time.

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 Tulsa in 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 are collaborating to 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’s biggest 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 World reports 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, describes Tulsa’s eviction crisis as 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

The Oklahoma Policy Institute reports 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

The Associated Press reports 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. An episode of the organization’s Hard Reset podcast discusses advocates’ concerns that many renters are unaware of the CDC eviction moratorium. 

Updated on October 14, 2020

The Oklahoman reports 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

The Tulsa Housing Authority launched a $20 million Emergency Rental Assistance Program, funded through the CARES Act, in late August. More than 4,400 Tulsa households have 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 be 130,000 evictions in the state if Congress does not provide additional resources and protections.

Updated on August 25, 2020.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the City of Norman, OK paused 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 Funds toward 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

Marketplace examines 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.

Federal, state, and local eviction moratoriums are rapidly expiring and the CARES Act supplemental unemployment benefits will end soon; at that time, millions of low-income renters will be at risk of losing their homes. The NLIHC estimates at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance is needed to keep low-income renters stably housed during and after the pandemic. This tracker links to news reports of the growing evictions crisis in various cities and states. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of eviction updates.

The Oklahoma County Court Clerk says there are 91 eviction cases on its dockets for Monday the day after the eviction moratorium ends. It is usually limited to 75 per day. Advocates fear 130,000 potential evictions in Oklahoma if additional supports are not made available.

Updated: August 28

No statewide order was issued, but the State Supreme Court paused most hearings until May 15. The State Supreme Court has stated the over 1500 eviction orders issued between March 16 and May 15 are valid and enforceable. Eviction hearings are being conducted remotely. 

Updated: July 31

In the third week of July, 31% of adults in Oklahoma reported they had missed their previous housing payment or had little confidence they would make their next one on time, according to a weekly survey conducted by the Census. In the same survey, 146,263 renters reported they had not paid their previous rental payment.

Updated: July 29

According to a weekly survey by the Census, 1 in 4 adults in the state either missed their last housing payment or have little/no confidence of being able to make next month’s housing payment. Oklahoma never instituted a statewide moratorium. 

Updated: July 16