by: ANGEL RIGGS World Capitol Bureau

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Not all Oklahomans are benefiting from the state's strong economy, and some could face severe hardship should national trends emerge in the state, according to a study released Tuesday by the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

"If we do hit the downturn, there's going to be a segment of the population that really doesn't have notches left in their belts to tighten," said David Blatt, the institute's director of public policy.

The report found that bankruptcy filings for the first three months of 2008 are up 23 percent compared with last year. The number of mortgages in delinquency in creased by more than 50 percent between the third quarter of 2005 and the same period in 2007.

"We are seeing growing indicators of Oklahoma families facing financial hardship," Blatt said.

"What's worrisome is we are seeing rising poverty and increasing bankruptcies and foreclosures and high levels of lack of access to health care and adequate food, and we're seeing this while our economy overall is doing well."

Oklahoma's poverty rate reached its highest level in a decade at 15.4 percent for the period of 2005 to 2006, the study showed. That's up 2.2 percent compared with the previous two-year period, according to the study.

The report also noted that one in five Oklahoma children live in poverty. More than one in 10 Oklahomans depends on food-stamp benefits to pay for some or all of their grocery costs.

The Oklahoma Policy Institute previously operated as the public policy arm of the Community Action Project of Tulsa County.

The Community Action Project will continue its direct-service work, including anti-poverty programs, housing assistance and early childhood education, Blatt said.

However, the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Policy Institute will operate as a separate organization with a nonpartisan board of directors.

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