SW OKC residents push back against affordable housing development
SW OKC residents push back against affordable housing development KFOR Oklahoma City
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Neighbors Voice Concerns About Affordable Housing Project
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Neighbors in southwest Oklahoma City gave feedback about an affordable housing project near their neighborhood.
Residents Express Concerns
- A group of residents voiced their concerns on Thursday night at a planning commission meeting.
- They’re not thrilled by the prospect of hundreds of new starter single-family homes and duplexes near SW 29th Street between Sara and Mustang Road.
- “That’s a scary proposition I think is what we are creating,” said a neighbor at the meeting.
Concerns Raised
- Their concerns range from the impact on traffic and property values of nearby homes.
- “This area is not ready for this density,” said a neighbor. “The transportation being too tight, huge issue.”
- “Where are the cars going to go? They’re going to be in the street, in the yard,” said a neighbor.
Housing Demand in Oklahoma City
Johnson and Johnson Associates said the company is meeting the biggest housing demand in Oklahoma City.
- That includes just under 300 homes around 1100 square feet each.
- “There are thousands of voices who can’t buy the house, you might relegate them to some status of society, but they are actually normal people who look just like me,” said the developer.
Resistance to Change
Christie Richmond lives nearby, and says everyone loves to live here and change is hard.
- “Mustang has typically been a smaller community, very close knit. And so, I think it may not just be a resistance to the housing, but just a resistance to the growth because everybody wants to hang on to that small hometown feel,” said Richmond.
Approval and Final Decision
The project was approved to move forward.
- “I don’t think it’s fair to limit who we think is allowed to live here with us based off income,” said Richmond.
- The Oklahoma City Planning Commission said regardless of their approval, the final decision is up to the city council.
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