A collaborative project between the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency was recently featured in The Oklahoman. A team of OU researchers are currently redesigning the Oklahoma Housing Needs Assessment (OHNA), an online source of detailed information about Oklahoma’s 77 counties. The project is led by Shawn Schaefer and Francesco Cianfarani from the Gibbs College of Architecture, as well as Ron Barnes and Joe Havlicek from the Gallogly School of Engineering.
The OHNA was first launched in 2016 and has been a key resource for affordable housing developers across the state. The site provides detailed information about household compositions, populations and subpopulations and disaster readiness and preparation. As explained by Holley Mangham from the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, this data helps developers and non-profit organizations determine the type of housing that is needed and where this housing is needed the most. However, after seven years, the site is in urgent need of an update.
Rather than a collection of 77 separate reports, the new-and-improved assessment will be “a tool for you to find data,” said Schaefer. The updated site will allow users to search maps, tables and other presentations of data to easily find what they want, including individual affordable housing projects. Additionally, the website will be updated periodically to provide users with accurate information.
The new site is set to launch in summer 2024 and will be maintained and enhanced by the research and development team at OU.
Read the full article in The Oklahoman.
Featured Image: Schaefer presenting at the recent Commercial Real Estate Summit.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
