OKC Housing Program Gains Momentum, Shifts Focus To Homelessness Prevention In 2025

Oklahoma City's Key to Home program has housed 332 people since 2023. In 2025, it plans to focus on homelessness prevention and activate emergency shelters amid freezing temperatures.

Wednesday, November 27th 2024, 4:16 am

By: Jordan Fremstad

OKLAHOMA CITY -

Several people have new homes thanks to Oklahoma City's efforts to end homelessness. This month, Key to Home partnership helped 26 people who lived in encampments downtown find permanent housing.

Since 2023, Key to Home has housed 332 people, surpassing the halfway mark of the city’s goal of 500 by late 2025.

“Our team is growing here at the city,” said Jamie Caves, Strategy Implementation Manager for Key to Home. “The work we’re doing through the service partners is expanding.”

Caves has been part of OKC’s Key to Home Partnership since it began two years ago. She said they are well on their way to reaching their goal of housing 500 people.

“We’re really excited about that,” Caves said

The Key to Home Partnership includes 50 organizations working together to end homelessness. So far, 97% of people housed in this program remain in housing.

“As time goes on, we understand that number is likely to fall. Even something lower, 80-85% is the national average, we’ll still see that as successful.” Caves said.

Response teams talk to people directly and their landlord engagement team gets property managers on board to find homes.

“Case managers come alongside and provide case management support,” Caves said.

Next year, Caves said her team will focus on a new diversion program. Several organizations will create a pilot system.

“Prevent them from ever coming into the homeless response system,” Caves said. “It’s strategy combined with a small pot of money for one-time payments that can help people just move into housing and stabilize.”

Caves said the city’s goal began with one person and now 332 people live where they belong.

“They have a warm, safe place to go home to tonight,” Caves said.

Caves said they will phase in the new diversion program within the next few months. On Thanksgiving Night, temperatures are expected to dip below freezing. The city will activate its emergency winter shelter plan to provide shelter options for people.