Tulsa tackles substandard housing

Roofs caving in, homes missing windows and walls rotting. Eliminating substandard housing in Tulsa is one of the less glamorous projects the mayor is working on before the year 2025. <br/><br/>It's

Wednesday, July 6th 2005, 9:58 am

By: News On 6

Roofs caving in, homes missing windows and walls rotting. Eliminating substandard housing in Tulsa is one of the less glamorous projects the mayor is working on before the year 2025.

It's a big problem that's going to take a lot of work to fix. News on 6 anchor Terry Hood explains how the city is trying to get started.

One of the biggest misconceptions about substandard housing is that it only exists in north and west Tulsa. The Community Action Project pointed the News on 6 to the Crutchfield neighborhood near 5th and Peoria. But they say they've also found dilapidated units across the city.

That is why around 50 people gathered at the Tulsa Civic Center Wednesday to discuss ways to tackle the substandard housing problem. They split into small groups to talk about everything from changing the tax code to educational programs to help renters take care of their properties.

Folks at the meeting wanted to stress even a few deteriorating neighborhoods can impact the city's image. Real estate broker Brigitte Harper: "I think it's very important that we have adequate and standard housing. People coming in don't want to purchase home that aren't up to standard or up to code. They want a nice, decent, beautiful home to live in and I think everyone should have that right."

Wednesday's meeting was just to make plans for the long-term project.