Oklahoma City officials say the city’s oldest public housing complex is gearing up for a major bid that could reshape both the property and the blocks around it. The Oklahoma City Housing Authority plans to go after up to $26 million from HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods program to move a years-long Transformation Plan out of the planning binder and into real construction. The proposal calls for modernizing outdated apartments, adding mixed-income housing and funding neighborhood services for people who already live there.
As reported by The Oklahoman, the housing authority expects to turn in its application this month for up to $26 million to carry out the Transformation Plan that planners and residents have been shaping together. That coverage notes the work builds on a planning process launched after the agency landed a HUD planning grant, followed by months of resident workshops.
What is in the transformation plan
The centerpiece is Will Rogers Courts, where the plan calls for redeveloping the complex’s 348 units into high-quality, mixed-income housing, paired with neighborhood placemaking projects and People services, according to the project’s engagement site. Westwood Exchange Choice Neighborhood also reports that some early-action work is already in motion, including a new community gathering space at South Rotary Park and a renovated community resource center.
The federal window
HUD has posted a Notice of Funding Opportunity for Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants that allows awards of up to $26 million. The Grants.gov listing shows about $75 million available across the competition and sets an application deadline of March 9, 2026. That NOFO puts immediate pressure on the housing authority and the city to lock in partner commitments, matching funds and the paperwork needed to stay competitive.
Residents and safeguards
Officials have been stressing protections for current tenants. Coverage of the planning process reports that residents would be temporarily relocated during construction, given first shot at the new units and would not see rent go up, KGOU said. Materials from the transformation team also show recent resident workshops and neighborhood meetings aimed at shaping relocation support and services…