Tulsa Mayor Nichols Launches Housing Acceleration Team to Streamline Permitting, Zoning

Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, along with other city and local leaders, held a news conference on Monday to announce key developments related to housing in the city.

Monday's announcement included an executive order that Nichols said would put in place methods to help him achieve the city’s housing goals.

"What we're working on right now is not something that was the mayor's idea or counselors' idea. It is the very best idea to get the most bang out of the taxpayers' dollars, and that's what we're working on right now," said Nichols.

The key points of Mayor Nichols' Executive Order are:

1. Establishing a "Housing Acceleration Team" to streamline permitting and zoning processes to make it easier to build the needed housing.
2. Creating a new public "housing permitting tracker" that will be released to provide accountability and transparency on progress towards the 6,000 affordable housing unit goal.
3. It includes a Community Builder Pilot Program that offers incentives to developers to transform vacant properties into usable housing, addressing both blight and affordable housing.
4. It involves a plan for the $75 million approved through the Improve Our Tulsa 3 program, with input from experts to determine the best use of those funds.

Mayor Nichols' Housing Priorities

Mayor Nichols said that affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization are a top priority and that his administration has set goals to address housing challenges in the city.

"You've heard me say several times a goal, stated goal of getting 6000 affordable units online by 2028 and it's a lofty goal, but it's something that also doesn't happen on accident, and I would argue it's something that's fully within our control to make, to make happen," said Nichols.

The Mayor laid out the following goals for his current term:

1. Increase affordable housing stock by 6,000 units by 2028
2. Reduce blighted properties by 60% by 2028
3. Align affordable housing development with neighborhood revitalization efforts.
4. Lowering developer costs to encourage more housing production

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