Volunteers across Oklahoma City are gearing up for an all-day effort on January 23rd to account for the local homeless population in the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count. This crucial tally, a snapshot of the sheltered and unsheltered population facing homelessness, is overseen this year by the Key to Home Partnership - now the lead agency in OKC's network of homeless service providers. According to the City of Oklahoma City's official news release, outreach workers and volunteers will spread out to encampments, shelters, and day centers to conduct this count, connect individuals with services, and offer additional resources.
The PIT count remains a critical tool, helping local leaders and agencies identify trends and informing the development of service programming to aid those in need. "We have to understand the scope of the problem in order to address it," stated Homeless Strategy Implementation Manager Jamie Caves, as mentioned in the City of Oklahoma City's press release. The data gathered supports OKC in addressing issues specifically tailored to its unhoused citizens. Notably, Oklahoma City has historically conducted these surveys annually, although federal guidelines require them only once every two years, an indication of the community's commitment to this issue.
Last year's PIT count identified 1,838 individuals living without stable shelter in the City of Oklahoma City, marking a significant increase from the previous year. The demographics revealed by the count range from veterans, who make up 7% of the population, to families with children, and highlight a distressing figure of 24% considered chronically homeless. These statistics paint a stark picture of the community’s ongoing struggle with homelessness, and the urgent need for effective, sustainable strategies to combat it.
Under the auspice of the Key to Home Partnership, formed in April 2023, more than 50 agencies have joined forces to tackle homelessness in novel ways. The partnership's goals are ambitious, aiming to significantly reduce youth and chronic unsheltered homelessness by the end of 2025. Since its inception, the initiative has already placed 332 individuals in homes, surpassing the halfway point of its target, as stated in the City of Oklahoma City's announcement. The PIT count serves as a vital component in the partnership’s broader objective: to extend the dignity of safe, affordable housing to every person in Oklahoma City.
