Sen. Kirt presents study on land banks to address housing shortage

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt is continuing her work to address Oklahoma’s shortage of affordable housing. Kirt presented a study on land banks on Tuesday at the state Capitol. Land banks could give cities and counties a way to repair and reuse abandoned or run-down properties and get them productive in private hands again.

The Senate Economic Development, Workforce and Tourism Committee heard the study, with state and national experts who spoke about how land banks could help.

“A lack of housing impacts Oklahomans across the state, in our urban areas and in rural towns,” said Kirt, D-Oklahoma City. “The biggest contradiction we learned about is while we don’t have enough affordable starter homes for families and workers, we also have more than 200,000 vacant housing units statewide. Land banks can serve as a bridge to move unused property back into private hands for productive use.”

Kirt said land banks could help communities deal with problems that often make vacant properties hard to reuse. These challenges can include needed repairs, unpaid property taxes, legal claims, title problems and other red tape.

The committee heard support for land banks from Katrina Washington, Executive Director of Neighborhood Housing Services Oklahoma; Doug Ryan, Vice President of Housing Policy at Grounded Solutions Network; Angie Barker, an Oklahoma attorney and Realtor; and Dr. Gregory Reading, a board member of the Absentee Shawnee Housing Authority. The speakers explained that local land banks could bring government and private groups together to turn vacant and run-down properties into needed housing.

“Twenty states and Puerto Rico have approved laws allowing land banks,” Kirt said. “These programs help turn problem properties into homes, reduce blight, improve property values, and strengthen communities.”

Kirt said she plans to work with other lawmakers during the 2027 legislative session to try to pass a bill to allow land banks in Oklahoma. 

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Julia Kirt at 405-521-5636 or Julia.Kirt@oksenate.gov