OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Housing and Urban Development Community Development Committee Meeting - July 9, 2026

City Council — Thursday, July 9, 2026
BodyTulsa, Oklahoma
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, July 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 36:16

Transcript — Verbatim
1:06

Thank you very much.

1:10

Good evening, everyone, and thank you for coming to this evening's meeting of the Housing and Urban Development Community Development Committee Thursday, July 9th.

1:20

And I'd like to call the meeting to order.

1:23

And with that, I'd like to start off with introductions on my left.

1:29

Good evening, Michelle Lara Citizen District Three.

1:35

Bob Winchester, Institutions.

1:38

Tracy Chandler, Citizen, District One.

1:42

Renita Bolin, District Six.

1:44

Scott is Bjornsson, District Two and Chair.

1:47

Daniel Jeffries, representing the Tulsa Planning Office.

1:51

Thank you all very much.

1:53

And thank you, everyone, for um coming out this evening.

1:56

And with that, we need a motion for approval of the minutes of March 31st, 2026 meeting.

2:04

I will move.

2:05

Thank you, Tracy.

2:06

Do I have a second?

2:07

I second.

2:08

Thank you.

2:09

All in favor?

2:12

No one opposed.

2:14

Great.

2:14

Thank you very much.

2:16

And our next business is election of new officers.

2:20

And for that, I would like to nominate Michelle Laura as chair.

2:26

Michelle, do you accept the nomination?

2:29

Yes, I accept the nomination.

2:31

Thank you.

2:32

Do we have anyone else?

2:36

No?

2:37

Do we have a second?

2:39

I second that nomination.

2:40

All in favor?

2:42

Aye.

2:43

Wonderful.

2:44

Michelle, you'll be our chair at the next meeting.

2:47

Thank you, I appreciate it.

2:49

And I believe we uh need a vice chair for which I'm willing to serve in that role.

2:57

Would you care to nominate?

3:00

I move to nominate Scott for chair.

3:03

Or vice chair, excuse me.

3:07

All in favor?

3:09

Aye.

3:10

Thank you very much.

3:11

And with that, we will start needs assessment presentation.

3:22

Good evening.

3:23

Uh Reese Williams with Grants Administration.

3:26

Hopefully, this shouldn't take too long.

3:28

Unfortunately, Derek has moved positions in the city, so you're back to me, guys.

3:33

So this is a short presentation on a 2027 um needs assessment public hearing.

3:42

Um I should probably start by reminding you guys that about, you know, twenty-four, eighteen months ago, we went through a lengthy consolidated plan, five-year planning process to develop the needs for the five-year plan.

3:54

Um, June 30th, that was the end of our first year.

3:59

So we don't have a lot of substantial data yet.

4:03

Uh reports year end reports are not due until the end of this month.

4:07

So and we just started year two.

4:10

Um, what you're probably gonna see is there's not a lot of changes between the needs that we substantiated for the five-year plan and what we're proposing to move forward into year three.

4:24

Um, we receive funds annually from HAD to carry out uh activities that primarily benefit lower moderate income people and individuals and households.

4:34

Uh the intent of that plan then, like I said, is to develop five-year goals and needs.

4:40

Um, there's a lot of things in there.

4:43

Economic development, your physical activities.

4:46

You know, it includes environmental community.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development████████████████████████████████████████40%
Housing████████████████████████████28%
Affordable Housing██████████10%
Procedural█████████9%
Homelessness██████6%
Mental Health Awareness████4%
Legislative Policy███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Housing and Urban Development Community Development Committee Meeting - July 9, 2026

The Housing and Urban Development Community Development Committee met on July 9, 2026, to approve minutes, elect officers, hear a needs assessment presentation for the 2027 program year, and receive public testimony. The committee also discussed HUD grant delays, community priorities, and collaborative initiatives.

Consent Calendar

  • The minutes of the March 31, 2026 meeting were approved by unanimous vote.
  • Michelle Laura (Chair, District Two) was elected as Chair, and Scott Bjornsson (Chair, District Two) was elected as Vice Chair, both by unanimous vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Written Comments: Two written comments were received: one emphasized funding housing stability needs for families with young children (under five) living below the federal poverty guideline; the other urged continued funding for transportation services for low-income individuals to access health services. Both comments align with current goals and needs.
  • Rose (TEDC): Expressed strong support for continued investment in small businesses, particularly in low-income communities, through CDBG loans. Highlighted the role of small businesses in job creation, wealth building, and revitalizing commercial corridors. Reported a loss rate of 12% (target 15%) and noted that program income from loan repayments is recycled into a revolving fund. Announced a planned collaboration with rapid rehousing organizations to match people exiting homelessness with jobs created by small businesses.
  • Brent Isaacs (Mental Health Association Oklahoma): Urged the committee to prioritize preservation of existing affordable housing, especially naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH). Noted that their organization serves extremely low-income individuals and relies on funding for rehabilitation to prevent units from being lost.

Discussion Items

  • Needs Assessment for 2027 Program Year: Reese Williams from Grants Administration presented the annual update. The five-year consolidated plan (2025–2029) identified nine priority needs: affordable housing, housing assistance, homeless services, neighborhood investments, assistance for domestic violence survivors, mental health treatment, disability services, basic needs assistance, and job creation. The 2026 goals derived from these priorities include acquisition/new construction, rental and homeowner rehabilitation, homelessness services, HIV/AIDS housing, services for special populations, public infrastructure, clearance/demo, small business loans, and employment opportunities. Williams noted that year one has just ended and year two is beginning; the needs assessment for year three (2027) shows minimal changes.
  • HUD Grant Delay: Williams reported that the city's annual plan was submitted to HUD for year two but has not been formally approved, though HUD indicated automatic approval after 45 days. The 45-day period ended June 19, 2026, but the HUD system still shows "pending review" and no grant agreements have been executed. This has delayed subrecipient agreements. Williams and committee members discussed the unusual delay, attributing it to federal staffing cuts and lack of guidance on new requirements (e.g., immigration status verification). Committee members expressed concern but noted that the funds have been budgeted and are expected to be available.
  • RFP Process: Williams outlined the timeline: three mandatory grant meetings in September 2026, RFP release, due in October, review by four reviewers (including one from Grants Administration), recommendations in early 2027, and City Council approval by the second Thursday in April 2027. Organizations must be 501(c)(3) and pass an organizational capacity review; there is no minimum time in existence.
  • Committee Member Comments:
    • One member highlighted alarming statistics: Oklahoma has the highest rate of domestic violence in the U.S. (49% for women, 45–47% for men) and urged proactive solutions involving mental health and financial literacy.
    • Another member emphasized the value of collaboration and communication among organizations to leverage funds effectively.
    • The same member also advocated for establishing non-predatory lending institutions (e.g., credit unions) in low-income neighborhoods, referencing a prior meeting's insight that a community without such institutions is "doomed to remain in poverty."
    • A member also reminded attendees about TrumpAccounts.gov for children under 18 to receive potential donations and noted that newborns in a four-year window will receive $1,000 from the federal government. Mentioned Regent Bank opening a branch near Fresh Market to serve challenged neighborhoods.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved minutes of March 31, 2026.
  • Elected Michelle Laura as Chair and Scott Bjornsson as Vice Chair.
  • Motion passed to enter the Program Year 2027 Priority Needs Public Hearing.
  • Motion passed to exit the Public Hearing after receiving testimony.
  • The meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote.
  • The committee will consider public comments and written submissions in developing a priority needs statement to be submitted to the City Council for approval, which will inform the next Request for Proposals.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you very much. Good evening, everyone, and thank you for coming to this evening's meeting of the Housing and Urban Development Community Development Committee Thursday, July 9th. And I'd like to call the meeting to order. And with that, I'd like to start off with introductions on my left. Good evening, Michelle Lara Citizen District Three. Bob Winchester, Institutions. Tracy Chandler, Citizen, District One. Renita Bolin, District Six. Scott is Bjornsson, District Two and Chair. Daniel Jeffries, representing the Tulsa Planning Office. Thank you all very much. And thank you, everyone, for um coming out this evening. And with that, we need a motion for approval of the minutes of March 31st, 2026 meeting. I will move. Thank you, Tracy. Do I have a second? I second. Thank you. All in favor? No one opposed. Great. Thank you very much. And our next business is election of new officers. And for that, I would like to nominate Michelle Laura as chair. Michelle, do you accept the nomination? Yes, I accept the nomination. Thank you. Do we have anyone else? No? Do we have a second? I second that nomination. All in favor? Aye. Wonderful. Michelle, you'll be our chair at the next meeting. Thank you, I appreciate it. And I believe we uh need a vice chair for which I'm willing to serve in that role. Would you care to nominate? I move to nominate Scott for chair. Or vice chair, excuse me. All in favor? Aye. Thank you very much. And with that, we will start needs assessment presentation. Good evening. Uh Reese Williams with Grants Administration. Hopefully, this shouldn't take too long. Unfortunately, Derek has moved positions in the city, so you're back to me, guys. So this is a short presentation on a 2027 um needs assessment public hearing. Um I should probably start by reminding you guys that about, you know, twenty-four, eighteen months ago, we went through a lengthy consolidated plan, five-year planning process to develop the needs for the five-year plan.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com