OKC's Oldest Public Housing Complex Seeks $26M Grant for Transformation

Will Rogers Courts aims to redevelop into mixed-income housing with new amenities and services.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 12:47am

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The Oklahoma City Housing Authority is applying for a $26 million federal grant to completely transform Will Rogers Courts, the city's oldest public housing development. The Westwood Exchange Transformation Plan would redevelop the complex into mixed-income housing, support employment, education and health programs, and increase access to trails, parks, transportation and economic development.

Why it matters

Will Rogers Courts is home to some of Oklahoma City's poorest residents, many of whom have virtually no annual income and lack reliable transportation. The complex has also faced security issues, with three fatal shootings in 2024. Redeveloping the site into a mixed-income community is expected to provide better opportunities for residents and improve the overall neighborhood.

The details

The plan involves demolishing the existing public housing units and rebuilding in phases, including a "build-first" site behind a nearby elementary school. The new development would feature 144-unit buildings, a three-story corridor building for an expanded Head Start program, as well as new streets, walking paths, playgrounds, community gardens, fitness centers and computer rooms. Residents would receive support from case managers to find temporary or long-term housing during construction, with the right to return once the new units are complete.

  • The Oklahoma City Housing Authority expects to submit the grant application on March 5, 2026.
  • The overall plan is expected to take 8 years to complete, but residents won't have to relocate for several more years.

The players

Oklahoma City Housing Authority

The local public housing agency leading the redevelopment effort.

Megan O'Hara

Principal and CEO at Urban Design Associates, the Pennsylvania-based firm designing the Westwood Exchange Transformation Plan.

Greg Shinn

Assistant executive director at the Oklahoma City Housing Authority.

JoBeth Hamon

Oklahoma City Councilwoman representing the ward where Will Rogers Courts is located.

Brinshore Development

An Illinois-based affordable housing developer that has been tapped to help build the new mixed-income units.

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What they’re saying

“It's currently obsolete in terms of the layout and the functionality of the housing. But the whole point will be, you can't look at it and know where people with low incomes are living. It will just feel like a beautiful apartment community with nice amenities and will feel like a real neighborhood that people choose to live in.”

— Megan O'Hara, Principal and CEO, Urban Design Associates

“So many other parts of the city are thriving and flourishing because of MAPS and other investments, and this part of the city really deserves that same kind of attention. You're looking at the No. 1 trading cattle market in the world, and right over here is all of this poverty. I mean, you've got a thriving community like Wheeler, and meanwhile this is just hidden. We just really really need to drive investment to this part of the city, and it'll take off just like the other parts of the city.”

— Greg Shinn, Assistant Executive Director, Oklahoma City Housing Authority

“It's just the idea that this is the reality for a lot of people, and that we have just sort of let this area languish ― but now it's exciting that the city has been an active partner in this, and I'm really hopeful that we can kind of come together to support it and keep the forward momentum.”

— JoBeth Hamon, Oklahoma City Councilwoman

What’s next

The Oklahoma City Housing Authority will submit the $26 million grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on March 5, 2026. If awarded, the agency will begin the process of demolishing the existing Will Rogers Courts complex and constructing the new mixed-income housing in phases over the next 8 years.

The takeaway

This redevelopment project represents a major investment in one of Oklahoma City's most underserved neighborhoods, aiming to transform the outdated and troubled Will Rogers Courts public housing complex into a thriving, mixed-income community with new amenities, services and economic opportunities. It highlights the city's efforts to address longstanding inequities and provide better living conditions for its most vulnerable residents.