<body><div>WILD ARTOklahoma Photos by Oklahoma Photographers<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3XbMEq_1FAOORhy00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3XbMEq_1FAOORhy00" width="600" height="400" ><figcaption>Mariah Nicole , Moore</figcaption></figure><h2>Here’s the Stuff You Should Know</h2>Congress Passed the Biggest Housing Bill in Decades. Oklahoma Advocates Say It’s Not Enough on Its Own.In early July, Congress passed the largest housing affordability bill in decades with broad bipartisan support. Oklahoma advocates are still waiting to see if it helps the people who need it most.The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes 59 provisions aimed at increasing the nation’s housing supply and making homeownership more accessible. Key measures cap how many single-family homes large investors can purchase, streamline environmental reviews for infill housing, create a grant program for preapproved housing designs and loosen requirements on manufactured homes to lower their cost.Oklahoma enters the new law with a significant deficit. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition estimates the state lacks 84,125 units to house low-income families. No state has an adequate supply. And 26% of Oklahoma renters are considered extremely low-income, with 71% of them severely cost-burdened — meaning they spend more than half their income on housing.Advocates say the federal law doesn’t address Oklahoma’s fastest-in-the-nation eviction timeline, the lack of tenant protections or the absence of a statewide housing plan. Bills to extend the eviction notice period and allow tenants to seek injunctive relief against bad-actor landlords both failed in this year’s legislative session. A workforce housing commission proposal has also died repeatedly.Oklahoma Policy Institute’s Sabine Brown said the state could act independently on zoning reform — ending single-family-only zoning to allow duplexes, triplexes and accessory dwellings — similar to what Montana, Texas and Washington have done, research showing those moves drive housing costs down.Full benefits of the federal law may take years, with much of early implementation falling to a HUD that has shed significant staff since last year.Jake Ramsey’s story has all the details.More worth knowing: LeShon Johnson SentencedFormer NFL running back LeShon Johnson was convicted in Muskogee on six felony counts related to operating a large-scale dogfighting operation, marking a significant prosecution under the federal Animal Welfare Act and culminating in the seizure of 190 dogs. He was sentenced to five years in federal prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. [KWTV] [KOTV] [BA Sentinel]OWRB Says Dams Not to BlameAn Oklahoma Water Resources Boared presentation concluded that dams on property owned by former legislator Glen Coffee are not responsible for the dearth of water downstream and depleted wells that have left Cedar Lake residents without running water. [NonDoc]HB 1775 Upheld, NarrowedIn a split decision Wednesday, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decided House Bill 1775 appropriately bars Oklahoma public schools from teaching certain discriminatory concepts as if they are facts. The decision overturned a 2024 preliminary injunction from a U.S. district judge in Oklahoma City federal court, who had blocked a few portions of the law for vagueness. A group of Oklahoma students, teachers, college professors and activists who sued to overturn the 2021 law contended HB 1775 is overly vague and unconstitutionally censors classroom discussions. [Oklahoma Voice]▲=Possible paywallThe University of Oklahoma opened for its first day of classes on September 15, 1892, with 57 students, one building, and a faculty of three.Ciao for now,Ted StreuliExecutive Director, Oklahoma Watch<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3IgxKp_1FAOORhy00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3IgxKp_1FAOORhy00" width="800" height="1000" ></figure>Help Us Make a DifferenceOklahoma needs high-quality investigative journalism. That is our mission at Oklahoma Watch. We produce stories that hold government and public officials accountable and make transparent what some prefer to keep secret. We depend on financial support from readers like you to sustain our coverage. Will you help us make a difference?<h2>Support our publication </h2>Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.</div></body>

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Congress Passed the Biggest Housing Bill in Decades. Oklahoma Advocates Say It’s Not Enough on Its Own. In early July, Congress passed the largest housing affordability bill in decades with broad bipartisan support. Oklahoma advocates are still waiting to see if it helps the people who need it most.

First Watch: Stuff You Should Know

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Congress Passed the Biggest Housing Bill in Decades. Oklahoma Advocates Say It’s Not Enough on Its Own. In early July, Congress passed the largest housing 

First Watch: Stuff You Should Know

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