Renters in Oklahoma City are being evicted at more than twice the rate of renters in larger cities like New York City and Austin, according to new data from Eviction Lab, which advocates say highlights an eviction crisis in the community. The data doesn’t just count evictions. It maps them. Just 10 apartment buildings are responsible for the majority of filings in Oklahoma County. Last year, landlords filed more than 17,000 evictions in Oklahoma County. Advocates argue the issue is not just a housing problem but also a policy problem. “Oklahoma has one of the fastest eviction timelines in the nation. We also have the cheapest filing fees in the nation, so if a process is fast, easy, and cheap, then there isn’t a reason for a landlord to not incorporate that into their business practice,” said Amy Coldren, director of advocacy and communication for Mental Health Association Oklahoma. Mental Health Association Oklahoma has been tracking eviction rates in Oklahoma County for the past four years. A new partnership with Eviction Lab is now providing a more detailed look at who is being evicted and how quickly it happens. “One of the things that we heard for a long time is that it takes 30 days or more to evict a tenant in Oklahoma. But what we see when we look at the data is that that’s simply not true,” Coldren said. “In Oklahoma County, of the tenants who are evicted, about 40-50% of those each month are locked out of their homes within 14 days or less.”The data also shows that many evictions stem from relatively small amounts of unpaid rent. Over the past year, 37% of eviction claims were for less than $1,000, and half were for less than the median monthly rent. For advocates, the data not only explains the problem but also points to a solution. They say Oklahoma’s eviction timeline needs to be extended to give renters more time.For more information on Oklahoma City’s eviction rates, click here.>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter
OKLAHOMA CITY —
Renters in Oklahoma City are being evicted at more than twice the rate of renters in larger cities like New York City and Austin, according to new data from Eviction Lab, which advocates say highlights an eviction crisis in the community.
The data doesn’t just count evictions. It maps them. Just 10 apartment buildings are responsible for the majority of filings in Oklahoma County.
Last year, landlords filed more than 17,000 evictions in Oklahoma County. Advocates argue the issue is not just a housing problem but also a policy problem.
“Oklahoma has one of the fastest eviction timelines in the nation. We also have the cheapest filing fees in the nation, so if a process is fast, easy, and cheap, then there isn’t a reason for a landlord to not incorporate that into their business practice,” said Amy Coldren, director of advocacy and communication for Mental Health Association Oklahoma.
Mental Health Association Oklahoma has been tracking eviction rates in Oklahoma County for the past four years. A new partnership with Eviction Lab is now providing a more detailed look at who is being evicted and how quickly it happens.
“One of the things that we heard for a long time is that it takes 30 days or more to evict a tenant in Oklahoma. But what we see when we look at the data is that that’s simply not true,” Coldren said. “In Oklahoma County, of the tenants who are evicted, about 40-50% of those each month are locked out of their homes within 14 days or less.”
The data also shows that many evictions stem from relatively small amounts of unpaid rent. Over the past year, 37% of eviction claims were for less than $1,000, and half were for less than the median monthly rent.
For advocates, the data not only explains the problem but also points to a solution. They say Oklahoma’s eviction timeline needs to be extended to give renters more time.
For more information on Oklahoma City’s eviction rates, click here.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter