HOME: This is My Story.

Michael Davis served his country in the Army during the Vietnam era. Decades later, with numerous health issues, he was homeless. The minute he visited the brand-new Commons on Classen, Michael knew he had found his new home.

“I’ve got peace and solitude here,” said Michael. “My apartment has been detailed for handicapped and it’s easy for me to cook and wash.”

OHFA provided $637,910 in Affordable Housing Tax Credits allocations to Neighborhood Housing Services to help make the 48-unit Commons on Classen possible.

“The tax credit program provided by OHFA was extremely critical,” said Roland Chupik, Neighborhood Housing Services executive director. “By going and getting the Affordable Housing Tax Credits, we were able to make it affordable for seniors.”

The midtown Oklahoma City location means Michael has regained independence. He rides his scooter anywhere he needs to go, whether it’s the grocery, the VA Hospital, or even the Bricktown Entertainment District.

“After they cut my leg off, I was dependent on other people,” said Michael. “This facility has allowed me to take care of myself.”

Financially, Amber Loomis and Zach Williams thought homeownership would have to wait until Zach finished law school and became a practicing attorney. They soon discovered that a mortgage payment was significantly less expensive than rent.

“We started looking at houses for fun and we realized how cheap a mortgage was,” said Amber. “Our mortgage here is significantly cheaper than what we were paying,” Zach added. “Once we really started looking in earnest, I was just shocked at how absolutely doable it was.”

After looking at countless houses, they purchased a home they have made uniquely theirs.

“We both have places we can practice our instruments without disturbing everyone else,” said Amber.  “In our apartment sometimes it would be 10 or 11 and I’d want to practice but it would be too late.”

The couple enjoys hosting friends for dinner, movie nights and drinks. Their home offers the space to do so.

“It’s yours and you can be proud of it and show it off to your friends,” said Zach.

Homeownership is something that Zach and Amber have encouraged their friends to consider. Some of their very good friends recently took the plunge.

“They saw what we did and had the same realizations we had.  We had friends who influenced us, so it has been a domino effect.”

Open communication with their Realtor and mortgage lender made the home buying process easy and smooth. Their OHFA Advantage lender, Erica Tymchuck at Gateway Mortgage, helped every step of the way.”

Getting a down payment assistance grant from OHFA helped tremendously.

“We thought we would have to have more saved up for the down payment,” said Amber. “Without that we would have had to wait.”

“We were able to take the money we would have spent on a down payment and put it right back into the house,” said Zach.

The City of Guymon has experienced significant industry and economic growth over the past 20 years. Employers had plenty of jobs, but Guymon lacked places for workers to live. They commuted from communities in surrounding states.

“For a town to flourish and prosper, you’ve got to have people living in that town,” said Mayor Kim Peterson. “If they’re going to work here and make their paycheck in Guymon, we’d rather them stay here.”

Despite an estimated housing shortage of 400 houses and apartments, the city’s location in Oklahoma’s panhandle made attracting developers difficult and cost-prohibitive.

Enter Lance Windel of Ardmore-based Milestone Homes. Utilizing a $2.6 million Housing Trust Fund Loan – Oklahoma’s largest ever – 30 single family homes were constructed in a brand new neighborhood. Pioneer Plains serves as a welcome from the east into the City of Guymon, along Highway 412, one of the city’s main thoroughfares.

“That financing, coupled with some help the city gave us was the catalyst that made it financially feasible for us to come build these homes,” said Lance.

To ease the cost of construction, Lance came up with an innovative plan.

“Guymon was kind of a boom town and the problem with that is you can’t find tradesmen in town to build those homes. We had to bring our tradesmen up from Ardmore and Dallas,” said Lance.

He purchased oil field trailers in which those constructing the homes could live. He rotated the framers, masonry and other specialists as the development progressed, building all 30 homes at once.

Realty House in Guymon served as the exclusive seller of all of the neighborhood’s homes.

“We took off running with it. We knew because of the shortage of new homes in Guymon that it wouldn’t be a problem to sell the houses here,” said Andy Falls, Realtor.

For homeowners Josh and Jennifer Herald, finding a four-bedroom home with an office in Guymon had been difficult.

“The housing in Guymon is rather expensive. We looked at several homes and everything needed upgrades,” said Josh. “By the time you factor that in, there was no way to beat the price of buying a new home.”

Other cities could certainly replicate a similar subdivision. In fact, Lance has been approached to do something similar in other locations.

“I’ve had three other cities contact me and say ‘We want you to do here what you did in Guymon,'” said Lance.

For individuals with developmental and physical disabilities, it’s often difficult to find affordable housing that fits their specific needs, especially in rural Oklahoma. A unique partnership between Chickasha Opportunities, Inc. and the Washita Valley Community Action Council helps bridge that gap.

A $420,000 Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) grant from OHFA helped the Washita Valley Community Action Council build a duplex group home in Chickasha to house up to six individuals at a time.

“The City of Chickasha approached me and said they had a lot they would like to donate if I would develop it,” said Randy Brasee of Washita Valley Community Action Council. “The land was perfect for a duplex.”

Each side of the duplex includes three bedrooms, two handicapped accessible bathrooms and a kitchen so that caretakers may prepare home cooked meals. The duplexes exude a family atmosphere that is enjoyed both by staff and by residents.

“The staff members often become the residents’ family,” said Juanita Ancheta, program coordinator for Chickasha Opportunities, Inc. “A lot of our individuals don’t have family. They don’t have that natural support system.”

The units are unique in that there aren’t many affordable group homes built for individuals in Oklahoma. Randy hopes to help change that.

“As the need arises, I’d love to do more. It’s very rewarding and challenging to provide the homes for people with special needs,” he said.

The 20 years of abuse Melody Harding suffered at the hands of her now ex-husband were physical, mental and verbal. Fearing for her life and the lives of her children, she left him. After a brief stay with a friend, she and her children lived for six months in a crisis house run by a church. They then stayed at a YWCA shelter for battered women and children until she was accepted into OHFA’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Rental Assistance Program.

Melody put herself through school by working as a janitor at Southern Nazarene University so she could receive free tuition. Melody graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and a Master’s degree in management.

In 2008, she purchased a home with the help of the Section 8 Homeownership Program, which pays a portion of her monthly mortgage.

“I never would have been able to buy a house without the help of Section 8, so I’m so thankful for that,” she said.

In 2016, Melody graduated from OHFA’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program. Participants of the program receive one-on-one support as they work towards educational or employment goals over a five year period.

Melody now works as a third-grade classroom teacher. She loves making a difference in the lives of her students. She enjoys teaching cursive writing and reading to them since some of them never get read to at home.

“I hope that I am making a difference in their lives and that they would be successful adults,” she said.

A fellow teacher encouraged her to share her story with her students as a way to offer hope in difficult situations.

Despite her achievements, Melody’s life as a single-mother is not easy, but she is alive.  She left 11 years ago, and she still clearly remembers thinking, “I never thought I would leave but I can never go back. I can never live like that again.”

In 2016, OHFA celebrated 40 years of helping Oklahomans with their housing needs.

We’ve accomplished a lot since 1976. At the heart of it, our mission remains the same: “Providing Housing Resources With An Eagerness to Serve.”

Complete financial information for Fiscal Year 2016 and past years may be found on OHFA’s website.  For more information about OHFA’s financial statements, contact Eldon.Overstreet@ohfa.org.

Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency opened its doors in 1976 with just 12 employees hired to administer what is now known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program.  Each month, OHFA assists approximately 10,000 families with rental assistance.

In 1980, OHFA began working with a network of lenders to provide down payment and closing cost assistance. Since that time, more than 52,000 Oklahoma families have utilized OHFA Advantage. In 2016 alone, 900 loans were made.

Affordable Housing Tax Credits were first issued in 1987. More than 28,000 rental units have been built as a result, including 1,108 in 2016.

OHFA’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program began in 1992 as a way to help Housing Choice Voucher recipients set and achieve goals toward financial freedom. Since that time, 302 individuals have completed the program.

The Housing Opportunity for People with AIDS program began in 1994. Each year, OHFA helps selected organizations provide housing assistance and supportive services to individuals affected by HIV and AIDS.

OHFA’s Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) began in 1998. OHFA has provided funding for more than 5,700 homeownership and rental units along with down payment assistance. In 2016, 60 ownership and rental units were funded with down payment assistance provided for another estimated 76 homes.

The Oklahoma Housing Trust Fund began in 1998. OHFA has allocated funds for 559 units of affordable housing since that time.

In 2000, OHFA was named the Contract Administrator for Oklahoma by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Through Project Based Contract Administration, OHFA oversees Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contracts for 170 properties statewide, providing housing assistance payments to owners for nearly 13,000 families.

In 2004, OHFA’s Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership program began. Since that time, 296 families have purchased homes, including four in 2016.

OHFA began regularly issuing Multi-Family Bonds in 2014. Working with 4% tax credits, OHFA issued $20.7 million in multi-family bonds and $3 million in credits.

OHFA Advantage Lenders

Arvest

BancFirst

Bank of Oklahoma

Bank SNB

Bay Equity

Citywide

Cornerstone Home Lending

DHI Mortgage

Exchange Bank

Fairway Independent

Fidelity Bank

First American Bank

First Mortgage Company

First Star Bank

First State Bank

First United Bank and Trust

FMB Bank

Gateway Mortgage

Guild Mortgage

Home Bridge

Leader Mortgage

Loan Depot

McClain Bank

MidFirst Bank

Prime Lending

RCB Bank

Regent Financial

Republic Bank and Trust

Spirit Bank

Supreme Lending

United Bank

Wells Fargo

WR Starkey

Yukon National Bank

OHFA Board of Trustees

Richard Lillard, Chairman – Miami

Joe Shockley, Vice-Chairman – Norman

Debbie Blackburn, Secretary/Treasurer – Oklahoma City

Ann Felton Gilliland, Member – Oklahoma City

Jeff Scott, Member – Tulsa

OHFA Staff Leadership

Dennis Shockley, Executive Director

Darrell Beavers, Housing Development Team Leader

Deborah Jenkins, Rental Assistance Team Leader

Eldon Overstreet, Finance Team Leader

Nelson Morgan, Information Technology Manager

Annual Report Videos, Stories and Website:

Holley Mangham, Director of Communications

Diana Rogers Jaeger, Assistant Director of Communications