Key to Home Partnership houses 45 people along General Pershing Blvd.
Published on August 15, 2025
Key to Home Partnership is housing 45 people living at an encampment along General Pershing Boulevard, a significant step toward addressing unsheltered homelessness in Oklahoma City.
In addition to housing, each person will also receive 12 months of case management support to help them stabilize and succeed in their new homes.
Key to Home staff engaged with residents living in the encampment for several weeks, offering housing to every person at the site.
“The response was grounded in compassion, strong coordination among service partners, and a commitment to long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes,” said Jamie Caves, Homeless Strategy Implementation Manager for Key to Home Partnership.
“This effort is part of our ongoing Encampment Rehousing Initiative, which focuses on connecting people with housing and the supportive services they need,” Caves added. “We’re grateful for our partners who are committed to providing dignified solutions to homelessness in our city. We couldn't have done this without them.”
The encampment was in a stormwater drainage area, infrastructure designed to manage runoff and reduce risk of flooding in the surrounding area. It was never intended for human habitation, and the presence of a growing number of people in the area posed serious health and safety risks for those residing there as well as the traveling public due to flooding in the roadway.
Rather than relying on enforcement alone, Key to Home remains committed to rehousing people living outdoors through collaborative approaches that prioritize stability and dignity.
“We know that clearing encampments without a housing solution doesn’t solve homelessness,” Caves said. “We’re focused on what does — housing, case management, and long-term, sustainable solutions.”
People can support Key to Home's efforts by donating to the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma by visiting www.cfok.org/keytohome. Donations are tax-deductible and are used to remove barriers that keep people from accessing housing.
Key to Home’s Encampment Rehousing Initiative has helped nearly 450 people transition from unsheltered homelessness into housing with supportive services.
Encampment Rehousing is part of a larger strategic vision of Key to Home Partnership to reduce homelessness in OKC. Other tactics include Diversion and Rapid Exit services, which launched earlier this month with the goal of reducing the number of people entering the homeless response system each year.
About Key to Home Partnership
Key to Home Partnership is a collective of more than 50 local agencies, service providers, funders, and government partners working together to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in Oklahoma City. By aligning efforts, sharing data, and investing in proven strategies, Key to Home is building a stronger, more effective homeless response system.