Oklahoma Cities Could Get $2.4 Million Right-to-Counsel Grants
Homelessness is on the rise in Oklahoma City and holding steady in Tulsa. One reason is eviction rates, which are among the highest in the country.
Oklahoma’s landlord-tenant law provides little protection for tenants, who often don’t know what to do when served with an eviction notice. Seventy percent don’t show up for their court hearing, and among those who do, few are represented by an attorney.
Heather Warlick reported that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering cities $2.4 million grants for right-to-counsel programs, which provide attorneys for those who can’t afford one.
There’s a catch. To qualify, Oklahoma City and Tulsa would have to pass right-to-counsel ordinances. Heather reported that there’s a good chance of that in Tulsa and some discussion in Oklahoma City.
Cities with right-to-counsel laws have seen significant declines in evictions, a trend Legal Aid Services Executive Director Michael Figgins said would likely come to fruition in Oklahoma, too.
“In the long run, fewer evictions will result, not only in court but largely by preemptive legal help to avoid a case being filed altogether,” he said.
More worth reading:
Who Died in the Tulsa Race Massacre?
The massacre, among the most horrific racial attacks in American history, left Tulsa’s Greenwood district, a Black neighborhood, in smoldering ruins. The death toll is estimated between 36 and 300. Many survivors scattered to parts unknown, taking with them clues about who lived and died in the neighborhood. [NYT]
Judge: Ag Department Ignored Poultry Farm Impacts
A Delaware County District Court Judge ruled that the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry irresponsibly allowed large poultry farms to be built in a sensitive watershed without proper environmental review or advance public notice. [Oklahoma Ecology Project]
Where Oklahomans Go for Abortions
A Guttmacher Institute study concluded that about 4,000 Oklahomans traveled to Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico or Illinois for abortions in 2023. [StateImpact]
“Don’t compromise, even if it hurts to be yourself.”
— Toby Keith
Ciao for now,
Ted Streuli
Executive Director, Oklahoma Watch
tstreuli@oklahomawatch.org
