Oklahoma’s building code committee is considering changes to housing regulations to help address the state’s housing shortage and make construction more affordable. The Affordable Housing and Consolidated Dwellings Technical Committee is exploring amendments to the international residential code to create more affordable housing options.

Addressing the Housing Shortage

The committee is focused on increasing ‘missing middle’ housing, which includes options between single-family homes and large apartment complexes. One proposal would allow certain four-story apartment buildings to have just one stairway instead of the two currently required.

David Adcock, chief executive officer of the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission, stated that the goal is to lower construction costs for developers. However, the committee has not yet reviewed detailed cost comparisons for the proposed changes.

The committee plans to meet one or two more times before presenting its recommendations to the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission.

Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.