Key to Home Partnership releases 2025 Point-in-Time data on homelessness, showing slowed growth
04/30/2025
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Oklahoma City’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count took place on Jan. 23, 2025. Early that morning and throughout the day, more than 100 volunteers fanned out across OKC to count the number of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in a single day.
Results from the count were released this week by the Key to Home Partnership, reveal a 2.4% increase in homelessness compared to 2024. While an increase in homelessness is disappointing, the number marks a significant slowdown from the 28% increase recorded from 2023 to 2024, underscoring the persistent challenge of homelessness in our community and the continued need for coordinated action.
The 2025 Point-in-Time Count report and details on the Key to Home Partnership’s strategic framework are available at keytohomeokc.org.
Many of the subpopulations included in the total count experienced notable decreases compared to 2024, highlighting progress in populations that have been targeted for housing and supports.
One of the most significant improvements was among people experiencing chronic, unsheltered homelessness, which dropped by 33% this year. This marks a sustained downward trend since 2023, resulting in a total reduction of 43% over the past two years. These gains reflect the impact of focused strategies and collaborative efforts aimed at housing people with the highest barriers to stability.
PIT data at a glance
Total count: 1,882
Sheltered: 1,215
Unsheltered: 421
Transitional housing: 246
Veterans: 128
Families: 114
Chronic: 433
Parenting youth: 9
Unaccompanied youth: 163
“The data confirms that our investments are working,” Assistant City Manager for the City of Oklahoma City Aubrey McDermid said. “Through the Key to Home Partnership and the Encampment Rehousing Initiative, we are seeing real, measurable outcomes—especially among our most vulnerable residents. This kind of progress shows what’s possible when we align resources and coordinate our strategy.”
The Key to Home Partnership, a collaborative effort to address homelessness involving City of Oklahoma City staff and leadership, service providers, and community leaders has focused on expanding pathways to housing for those experiencing unsheltered homelessness, strengthening data quality and collaborating to align efforts and resources in new ways. This collective approach has helped curb the rapid rise seen in prior years; additional efforts will be needed to reverse the trend altogether.
“We haven’t yet seen a reduction in the overall number of unhoused people in our community, but we are seeing positive trends where targeted strategies and dedicated funding have been focused,” Strategy Implementation Manager for the Key to Home Partnership Jamie Caves said. “This progress reinforces that strategic investments and coordinated efforts are making an impact. We are committed to building on this momentum to make homelessness in Oklahoma City rare, brief and non-recurring.”
Moving forward, the Key to Home Partnership will continue proven strategies to reduce chronic, unsheltered homelessness; implement new interventions to reduce the number of people that are newly homeless each year; and expand housing exits to ensure people have an efficient pathway to housing and necessary supports.
About the PIT Count
The 2025 Point-in-Time Count was held on Jan. 23. The all-day endeavor sent over 100 volunteers to encampments, shelters and day centers across Oklahoma City to survey people experiencing homelessness. Along with the survey, volunteers offered additional resources and service connections.
The survey helps Oklahoma City leaders and local homeless-serving agencies identify trends over time, gain a clearer picture of who is experiencing homelessness in our community, and determine where to focus efforts and where gaps in support still exist. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the count to be conducted every other year to receive federal funding, but the City of Oklahoma City conducts its count annually.
About the Key to Home Partnership
To address homelessness differently in Oklahoma City, the Key to Home Partnership was launched in April 2023. Key to Home is a public-private partnership of more than 50 agencies, the City of OKC and the private sector, working together with a mission to prevent and end homelessness. The Key to Home Partnership’s action plan is focused on reducing two sub-populations and refining the system to improve capacity and efficiency for everyone. The four goals for 2023-2025 include:
- Create a new governance system.
- Address homelessness differently by improving infrastructure and capacity.
- Achieve a reduction in Youth Homelessness by rehousing or diverting 100 youth by the end of 2025.
- Achieve a reduction in chronic Unsheltered Homelessness by rehousing 500 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness by the end of 2025.
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Media Contact
Erika Warren
(405) 833-8876
erika.warren@okc.gov
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