MAPS 4 homelessness funding shows early leverage; Dorset Place opens but needs remain
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Summary
Oklahoma City Housing Authority told the council that MAPS 4 homelessness allocations have leveraged significant private capital, Dorset Place opened phases of veteran supportive housing, and Will Rogers Courts will be a Choice Neighborhoods HUD applicant; council pressed for continued leveraging and project timelines.
The Oklahoma City Housing Authority delivered its MAPS 4 annual report Tuesday, outlining early project spending, leveraging results and timelines for supportive and workforce housing funded through the city’s MAPS program.
"We have 500 units of supportive housing to be built over 10 years," Mark Gillette, OCHA executive director, said in the council chambers. He highlighted Dorset Place — the city’s first permanent supportive housing project for veterans under MAPS 4 — where 37 units were built and 28 were occupied at the time of the presentation. The first allocation to housing projects was $10.7 million, with OCHA reporting that the city’s MAPS dollars are leveraging roughly $113 million in private and other capital so far.
Gillette said the agency is preparing a Choice Neighborhoods HUD application for Will Rogers Courts (OCHA listed a maximum HUD award of $26 million for applicants this cycle) to rebuild aging public‑housing stock, and noted the scale of the need: "We have a tremendous opportunity to leverage this funding," he said.
Andrea Guevara, OCHA communications strategist, summarized the authority's recent audit by CLA and reported corrective actions; she also said resident satisfaction surveys showed a 78% overall satisfaction rate. Councilors asked for more detailed accounting, the identity of the auditing firm, and for staff to provide follow‑up briefings as applications and leverage strategies progress.
The mayor and council thanked OCHA for the report. Councilmembers emphasized the continued gap between local funding and total development costs and pressed for targeted local investments alongside federal applications and private leverage.
Next steps: OCHA to return to council with Choice Neighborhoods application details and staff to provide requested audit and leverage documentation in follow‑up briefings.