This article continues Econ Dev 101, a local series that helps our community understand what economic development really looks like in Okmulgee. Our goal is to clarify how progress happens—what it takes, who’s involved, and why most things require patience. Economic development isn’t about quick fixes or backroom deals. It’s steady, often complex work done openly by a diverse group of local partners, building a stronger, more resilient Okmulgee step by step.

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We know Okmulgee isn’t perfect. Like every community, we face challenges and have memories of missed opportunities. But beneath that is real potential—a growing momentum and a network of people committed to moving Okmulgee forward. This series highlights that work, shares progress, and shows how we’re building something better, together.

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This week’s topic: Housing and its crucial role in economic development.

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Here’s the reality:  Companies may want to locate here. Workers may want to live here. People who grew up here might want to come back. And those already living here want more housing options that are safe and affordable.

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If we don’t have enough quality housing — especially for lower-income families and mid-level professionals — there’s simply nowhere for people to live.

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Right now, a big share of our workforce already comes from the Tulsa metro. They clock in, do the job, but don’t put down roots here — because there simply aren’t enough good homes, whether that’s affordable starter houses or quality executive options, at prices that work. When people can’t live where they work, they take their paychecks — and their local spending — back to another community. That means we miss out twice: on growing our population and on the dollars that should be circulating through our local businesses.

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Growing our population doesn’t just help our tax base — it strengthens our demographics, makes us more attractive to future investment, and keeps our schools, stores, and services more sustainable. If we want to capture that opportunity, we have to give people a place to call home — right here in Okmulgee.

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So Why Aren’t Developers Just Lining Up to Build?

It’s not because they haven’t noticed Okmulgee. They know we’re here — and they know growth is naturally moving our way. Right now, much of the residential momentum is coming out of south Tulsa, pushing into Okmulgee County District 1. We’re already seeing early signs of new homes and families just over the line. That wave is still early but real. How fast it moves our way — and whether it stops at our city limits or not — remains to be seen and depends on a few factors.

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The growth of residential opportunities in our county, especially as it pushes closer to Okmulgee, is a positive sign. But it’s equally important that we capture some of that growth inside our city limits.

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One barrier is the reality of our current housing stock. Too much of our rental housing falls into the slum landlord category — aging, poorly maintained properties that drag down entire neighborhoods and push families with options to look elsewhere. Substandard housing doesn’t just affect those living in it — it shapes how the whole community is perceived. Families want safe, clean neighborhoods with neighbors who care. Developers want to see that, too.

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Then there’s land. We do have property inside the city limits that could be developed, but some of it is fragmented, not properly zoned, or lacks the water, sewer, and broadband connections needed to make a project feasible. A smart next step is clarifying what’s truly ready to go — because every acre of shovel-ready land moves us up the list for a builder who wants to break ground now, not ten years from now.

 

What Do Residential Developers Look For?

Developers want communities where the math works. That means:

• A stable or growing population

• A solid public school district

• A workforce with steady incomes and clear demand

• Available, properly zoned land with infrastructure ready to go
   

The good news? Okmulgee has a lot going for us. We’re in the Tulsa MSA, on the edge of real growth, with utility capacity that can handle more rooftops — if we’re proactive about extending those lines and preparing sites. If we want growth, we have to invest ahead of it.

 

 

So Where’s the Movement Happening Now?

We do have local partners stepping up. Deep Fork Community Action Foundation has the credentials and the capacity to build low-income housing and is working to meet those needs for some of our most vulnerable families. The Muscogee Nation is investing too, with additional housing in the works — likely targeted for Muscogee (Creek) Citizens — and the MCN Choice Neighborhood grant is a major effort to take a strategic look at revitalizing a specific area of Okmulgee for mixed-income housing, services, and community assets.

These are bright spots — and they matter. But they’re not enough to meet the broader demand for market-rate, workforce, and middle-income housing. We still need more options for that “missing middle” — the teachers, healthcare workers, young professionals, and families who are critical to the community’s growth.

 

What Can Be Done in the Meantime?

There’s no silver bullet. But there are practical moves.  Growth is already moving in our direction. Let’s make sure we’re ready to catch it — not watch it pass us by.

• Invest in our schools. One good school year, one program that moves the needle — it all adds up to rebuilding trust with families and developers alike.

• Modernize infrastructure. Water lines, sewer, broadband, roads — we have capacity, but it must reach where housing wants to grow.

• Embrace alternative housing models. Infill, duplexes, senior cottages — the more we diversify, the more gaps we fill.

• Connect workforce to housing. If we want new workers in our pipeline, they need somewhere to live.

• Keep telling our story. We’re more than our past challenges — we’re a community with assets, grit, and a future worth betting on.
   

 

Housing is part of economic development — but it’s more than that, too. It’s about whether people see a future here.

We don’t have all the answers yet. We don’t even have the right tables built — yet — for neighbors, landowners, builders, and employers to solve this together. But we can.

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Maybe that’s the first step: figuring out what that table looks like, who needs to be around it, and what ideas need daylight.  Until then,let’s do our best to keep the conversation alive. Bring it up in church, at Rotary, at school pick-up.  Attend County Commissioner meetings or City Council to listen in, connect with decision makers and ask questions.  If you know someone in residential development, ask them their thoughts about Okmulgee, maybe connect them with us.   Ideas don’t get better when they sit in the dark and there is an energy and synergy that happens when people come together to make things happen.

 

We may not have all the answers yet, but we do know this: housing is a big part of economic development success in our community.  

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In the meantime, keep talking about it — at church, at work, at your kitchen table.  Lean in to learn more, ask what’s being done, and what you can do — even if it’s just keeping the conversation going.

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Little by little, that’s how things change..

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About the OADC:  The Okmulgee Area Development Corporation (OADC) is a nonprofit economic development organization focused on industrial job creation, business growth, and community investment in the Okmulgee area. We work in partnership with local leaders, educators, employers, and citizens to shape a stronger, more vibrant future for our region. Learn more at www.chooseokmulgee.com or reach out at deb@chooseokmulgee.com.