Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency
2021 Annual Report
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Despite remaining in a pandemic this past year, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency continued to focus on seeking ways to connect Oklahomans with vital housing needs.
Affordable housing not only provides shelter, but also creates hope.
This past year, OHFA helped a record number of Oklahomans become homeowners. We remained steadfast in providing resources through a multitude of rental and housing development programs.
The beginning of 2021 coincided with OHFA's move to temporary office space while OHFA's office building receives a complete remodel. Renovations will better accommodate customers with disabilities by including an updated elevator and an enhanced accessible building entrance. The remodel will incorporate a new floor plan that will prioritize physical distancing for building visitors and employees.
In the coming year, we will continue making the connection between housing and hope through additional programs designed to connect Oklahomans to crucial housing resources when they need it most. To accommodate these programs, we've grown by leaps and bounds - on-boarding 25 new employees to help fulfill OHFA's affordable housing mission in 2021.
We thank you for your partnership and look forward to an even better 2022.
Deborah Jenkins
OHFA Executive Director
OHFA's leadership team breaks ground on OHFA's building remodel. Back row, from left: Darrell Beavers, housing development director; Tim Shackelford, rental programs director; Deborah Jenkins, executive director; and Kurt Fite, deputy executive director. Front row: Lee Ann Smith, single family programs director and Tamara Steele, human resources director. Not pictured: Valenthia Doolin, homeownership director.
OHFA takes pride in providing vital housing resources to the people of Oklahoma.
Trisha Bunce, development manager for Infant Crisis Services, accepts a donation from OHFA employees. Pictured: Tamara Steele, OHFA human resources director, Deborah Jenkins, OHFA executive director, Bunce, and Holley Mangham, OHFA communications manager.
OHFA's Board of Trustees, from left: Roger M. Beverage, member; Heath Collins, secretary-treasurer; Scott McLaws, vice chair; Ann Felton Gilliland, member; and Mike Buhl, chair. Not pictured: Joi Love, resident board member.
Our Core Values: Integrity, Teamwork, Excellent Service, and Respect
OHFA connected 3,011 Oklahomans to homeownership through the OHFA Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance program this past year. With a half-billion dollars in loan production, it represented OHFA's biggest year yet.
For Sam, a new homeowner in Tulsa, using OHFA Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance meant she and her husband Blake could purchase the house they wanted without depleting their savings. "Every month when we pay our mortgage, I love knowing that we are paying ourselves,” Sam said. “I think about the equity we’re building every time I pay the bill."
OHFA's network of approved mortgage lenders and certified Blue Ribbon Realtors help buyers navigate the homebuying process.
Representatives from the top five lending institutions in the OHFA Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance program receive Premier Awards, Sept. 22. Pictured, from left, Darren Vittitow and Danny Flannery, First United Bank & Trust; Yahaira Velasco, AMC Mortgage; Lee Ann Smith, OHFA Single Family Homeownership Director; Stacey Wilkes, Bank of Oklahoma; Krystal Hendrickson, Great Plains Bank; and Kathy Tautfest, Gateway Mortgage Group.
“OHFA helped us get our first home,” said Shaunt'e. “We wouldn’t have been able to buy that house without OHFA. When we moved into this home, OHFA helped us again by helping us get the lower interest rate.”
Marcus and Shaunt'e purchased their first house with the help of OHFA Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance in 2008. As their children Marcus and Mariah got older, the Reeves family needed more space. They reviewed their finances and focused on purchasing a home that would fit their lifestyle and means.
They used the escrow from the sale of their first home to pay down payment and closing costs on their new home. OHFA's DREAM ZERO loan product offered a 2.25% interest rate, saving them money over the life of the loan. Learning OHFA could once again make an impact came as a welcome surprise.
“Down payment assistance fueled not only a first home purchase for this family, it also set them up for success when purchasing their second home,” said Deborah Jenkins, OHFA executive director. “We are proud to provide opportunities for buyers statewide no matter where they are in their homeownership journey.”
Throughout most of the year, OHFA worked with the U.S. Department of Treasury to launch the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), which offers financial assistance to Oklahoma homeowners who have faced significant mortgage-related financial setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. OHFA spent a greater part of 2021 preparing for the launch by designing a program that provides up to $20,000 in HAF grants on behalf of homeowners who are at risk of losing their homes due to the effects of COVID-19.
Grant uses include delinquent mortgages, property taxes, home insurance, and homeowner association dues.
OHFA received approximately $87 million from Treasury.
After receiving final approval from Treasury, OHFA's HAF program launched on January 10, 2022, one of the first 10 states to begin accepting applications.
OHFA launched its HAF program, Jan. 10, 2022, one of the first 10 states and territories to do so. (Map courtesy of the National Council of State Housing Agencies)
Through the Housing Choice Voucher and Performance Based Contract Administration programs, OHFA connected more than 23,000 households with safe and affordable rental housing each month.
Through Family Self-Sufficiency and Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership, participants develop life skills that lead to independence.
OHFA's partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program provides critical housing to veterans like Frederick. After sheltering in the back of his pickup truck under a camper he fashioned from recycled materials and duct tape, Frederick now lives in a one-bedroom apartment. "I've got a roof over my head where I can cook and take a bath. It's wonderful," he said.
Shady Acres recently opened to residents in Ardmore. A Performance Based Contract Administration property, Shady Acres includes 86 affordable apartments for families. Constructed with Affordable Housing Tax Credits, Shady Acres replaced an aging apartment complex called Willow Brook on the same property.
Through PBCA, OHFA makes monthly payments to property owners across the state. Rental assistance provided at each of these properties remains with the rental unit. Potential residents apply directly to a property where they want to live. OHFA receives HUD funding to administer the program and to pay rental assistance to development owners.
Donna began her journey toward owning her first home just as the pandemic began.
“They told us that no matter what, just keep saving and focusing on your goals,” Donna said. “So that’s what I did.”
Eager to move from lifelong renter to homeowner, Donna attended an information session regarding the Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership program just before the pandemic began in March 2020.
“They told us that no matter what, just keep saving and focusing on your goals,” Donna said. “So that’s what I did.”
For six months, Donna worked on building her savings. The day she toured the quaint white house at the end of a side street, Donna knew she was home.
After years of apartment living, she enjoys living in a quiet neighborhood where she often reads on her front porch. A large backyard means plenty of room to grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
“I enjoy being able to go into the yard, plant, and enjoy nature.”
Through the Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma/Canadian Counties, Donna paired funds she saved with down payment and closing cost assistance. She now uses her Housing Choice Voucher to help make mortgage payments instead of paying rent.
“I am on a fixed income due to disabilities,” Donna said. “This assistance really helped me.”
With the addition of Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), OHFA provided rental assistance to households facing critical situations such as homelessness, human trafficking, or domestic violence. OHFA partnered with more than 20 Oklahoma organizations that participated in the program by accepting applications and providing critical care services. Made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the EHV program addresses the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
OHFA had the opportunity to share information about the program with Feliz Romero, a reporter with KWTV News 9.
OHFA's Housing Development portfolio increased in 2021, with allocations and awards that will provide 1,971 households with affordable housing opportunities in 28 different communities across the state.
Through multiple funding opportunities, for-profit and non-profit developers strive to increase and improve available housing options. OHFA's Housing Development programs impact residents throughout the state.
Coweta Trails, a brand new affordable development for seniors, OHFA provided $650,000 in federal Affordable Housing Tax Credits.
Residents of the 56-unit community rave about the spacious, brightly lit apartments equipped with major appliances.
Pamela, a Coweta Trails resident, brought her little dog Clementine with her on move-in day. "We plan on living here a good long while," she said. It is a comfortable, peaceful place."
West Park, a three-phase, 247-unit development in Tulsa, represents a total transformation of the Kendall Whittier neighborhood. Made possible with a combination of Affordable Housing Tax Credits and the National Housing Trust Fund,
"West Park’s development spurred on and was complemented by other private and philanthropic investment," said Josh Miller, program officer for the George Kaiser Family Foundation. "As a result, along with other civic efforts, Kendall Whittier is Tulsa’s top neighborhood for inclusive growth that boasts one of Tulsa’s most vibrant LatinX communities."
Board Chairman, Mike Buhl, right, tours the West Park development in Tulsa with Josh Miller of the Kaiser Foundation.
"We want to make sure these homes are the most affordable for these clients. We want to make sure they are energy efficient and they are the best that they can be," said Christie Baldridge, DFCAF executive director.
Deep Fork Community Action Foundation (DFCAF) makes a positive impact on residents living in Hughes, McIntosh, Okfuskee, and Okmulgee Counties. The organization takes a holistic approach by teaching skills that set residents up for success.
As a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), DFCAF offers affordable housing opportunities.
"Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency helps us fulfill our mission of providing safe and affordable, reasonable rental housing," said Christie Baldridge, DFCAF executive director.
Finding an affordable place to live can be difficult and daunting to the low-income residents DFCAF serves.
"Safe and affordable housing is few and far between in these counties," said Juli Pendley, DFCAF property manager. "Most of our residents are grateful for a clean, warm home for their children."
Most recently, DFCAF utilized HOME Investment Partnership Program funds from OHFA to purchase and renovate homes for rent and to build new rental homes for veterans.
The organization also purchased and renovated eight duplexes for seniors in Henryetta. Erma, a resident of one of the duplexes, called it "the nicest apartment I've ever had."
When purchasing existing houses for renovation and rehabilitation, DFCAF seeks newer properties, adding modern upgrades and making them more energy efficient. OHFA funding ensures they can offer these homes at rents well below the market rate.
Visit the OHFA website to learn more about Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency and its programs.
Leadership Team:
Deborah Jenkins, Executive Director
Kurt Fite, Deputy Executive Director/CFO
Darrell Beavers, Housing Development Programs Director
Lee Ann Smith, Single Family Programs Director
Valenthia Doolin, Homeownership Director
Tim Shackelford, Rental Programs Director
Tamara Steele, Human Resources Director
