Lawmakers seek solutions to lower cost of building homes in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY — State lawmakers on Tuesday turned their focus to policy ideas to lower the cost of building houses in Oklahoma. 

Rep. Rob Hall, R-Tulsa, who requested the study, said he will file legislation focused on lowering the cost of building homes in Oklahoma as he said this has become a national issue. 

He’s not sure yet what shape his legislation will take, which is why he said he held an interim study focused on “conservative” and “free market principled” solutions to the housing crisis. 

“I think people are interested in it because it affects every single one of their constituents,” he said after the study Tuesday. “Everyone needs a place to live, and so whether you’re renting, buying, roommates, whatever the situation is, we all need a place to put our head at night.”

A myriad of policy proposals were discussed at Tuesday’s interim study before the House County and Municipal Government Committee.

Hall said he’s most interested in permitting reform to streamline the timeline of building housing as well as reviewing, and possibly updating, Oklahoma’s building codes. 

He said when permitting battles get dragged out, the cost of delays are passed on to the consumer or home buyer.

Hall said he wants to make the process for obtaining permits to build homes smoother, but also allow local governments to maintain control. 

Jaimie Cavanaugh, the senior state policy counsel at Pacific Legal Foundation, said government restrictions often inhibit property owners. The group is a national public interest law firm. 

She described several pieces of model legislation her organization has pushed across the country, including what she called the “Permitting Approval Timeliness Act.” The proposal would require municipalities to respond to permitting applications within a set period of time or else it would automatically be approved. 

Other suggestions from Cavanaugh’s group covered updating zoning requirements, removing limitations on the number of non-family members living together, and limiting who can object to developments.