TULSA, Okla.— The Housing Partnership Network (HPN) has launched a major initiative in Tulsa to tackle the city’s pressing affordable housing shortage.
Partnering with the Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, CDFI Friendly Tulsa (CFT), and local leaders, HPN aims to bolster development capacity, attract critical capital, and support local housing efforts.
HPN, a national network of nonprofit developers, operators, and mission-driven investors, has contributed to nearly $172 billion in affordable housing and community facilities across the United States.
Tulsa marks the organization’s third targeted city initiative, following similar efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and in Detroit during its financial crisis.
Housing Partnership Network: Focusing on North Tulsa’s Unmet Needs
HPN’s efforts will prioritize North Tulsa, where decades of disinvestment and systemic discrimination have left poverty rates exceeding 33%, and the median income stands at less than half of South Tulsa’s.
“The entire country is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, but in cities and towns without a strong affordable housing development and finance infrastructure there is limited capacity to address those needs, even when community and municipal leaders are actively engaged on the issue,” said Robin Hughes, HPN President and CEO.
“Local and community leaders in Tulsa are looking to leverage charitable and public funding resources and attract private capital to support housing development, but they also recognize that they need to build their local development capacity if that capital is to be effective. HPN can help do both.”
A Community-Driven Partnership
CDFI Friendly Tulsa, which was incorporated in 2023 to address financing gaps in underserved communities, played a key role in inviting HPN to the city.
“We are pleased and excited that Housing Partnership Network has responded to our invitation to come to Tulsa, to join forces with us and other local groups working to address the severe shortage of affordable housing in our city,” said Dr. Joyce McClellan, Chair of CFT’s Board of Directors. “The Board of Directors of CFT has wholeheartedly embraced and endorsed HPN’s proposal to help increase development and financing capacity, especially in North Tulsa.”
The partnership also aims to establish a new development entity, attract significant investment, and work with local development firms, including developers of color, to ensure community-based solutions.
Philanthropic Support Lays Foundation for Change
The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation has provided nearly $1 million in grant funding to launch the initiative, alongside additional support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
“The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation was pleased to support the launch of Housing Partnership Network in Tulsa,” said Bill Major, President of the Foundation. “For a city facing a critical shortage of quality, safe, and affordable housing, we must bolster our community’s capacity to produce affordable housing, which includes our ability to access and facilitate flexible capital and expand the number of quality affordable housing providers in our community.”
Major further noted HPN’s track record of success. “After learning about HPN’s community-driven approach, and successes in tackling the housing crises in New Orleans and Detroit, the Foundation is excited to support their efforts in adopting Tulsa as their third-ever place-based initiative,” he said.
Strengthening Tulsa’s Housing Ecosystem with Housing Partnership Network
By prioritizing collaboration and community-centered development, the Tulsa Housing Partnership represents a significant step toward addressing systemic barriers in Tulsa’s housing landscape. Through the combined efforts of Housing Partnership Network, CFT, and local leaders, this initiative seeks to create a more equitable and sustainable future for affordable housing in Tulsa.
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