Oklahoma City releases annual 2026 Point-in-Time Count

Published on May 07, 2026

Oklahoma City’s annual one-day snapshot of people experiencing homelessness, the Point in Time (PIT) Count, recorded 1,867 people on Jan. 23, 2026. This is a 1% decrease from 2025 and marks the first time Oklahoma City has seen a reduction in homelessness since 2022.

The Point-in-Time Count is required for communities that receive federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Using HUD’s definition of homelessness, it counts people in emergency shelters, transitional housing and those who are unsheltered or sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation. It does not capture people who are experiencing housing instability or “couch surfing.”

“Reversing the upward trendline in overall homelessness that Oklahoma City has seen for years is a significant achievement for our community, for the service providers doing the work on the ground, and for the courageous people and families who have transformed their lives,” said Jamie Caves, strategy implementation manager for the Key to Home Partnership. This progress is proof that our coordinated approach works, and it makes clear that sustained, expanded investment is what will allow us to build on this momentum and reach everyone who still needs our help.”

The PIT Count is one data point among many Oklahoma City uses to understand the impact of homeless services and identify gaps in the response system. Trends over time help paint a fuller picture of homelessness in Oklahoma City and where targeted support is still needed.

Key findings

The data from this year’s count found that unsheltered homelessness has continued in a downward trend, as it has since 2022, with unsheltered homelessness representing 22% of everyone experiencing homelessness in 2026, down from 35% in 2022.

Chronic and unsheltered homelessness has dropped 42% since 2022, although the single-year change from 2025-2026 did see an increase.

“While we are grateful to see all the hard work of our partnership beginning to be reflected in the data this year, we know there is still work to be done for lasting change,” Caves said. “We’re committed to delivering long-term solutions for our community."

The count also found:

39% of people counted were female; 59% were male; 2% preferred not to answer.
6% were families with children.
22% were seniors 55+.
10% were unaccompanied youth.
6% were veterans.
20% reported a severe mental illness.
43% were white; 33% were Black; 8% were American Indian, Alaska Native or Indigenous; 5% were Hispanic/Latinx; 3% were multi-racial/non-Hispanic.

The path forward

Moving forward, Key to Home is focused on data-driven interventions that reduce the inflow of new people entering the homeless response system. The Partnership will create more pathways to housing and support for more subpopulations.

Strategic priorities for the fiscal year ahead include:

Early Intervention, which finds alternative options to emergency shelter for people as quickly as possible. This approach helps reduce the inflow of people entering the homeless response system.
- At an average cost of less than $1,250 per person, it’s a cost-effective alternative to long emergency shelter stays.
Expanding direct and streamlined housing pathways for more subpopulations:
- Continue Encampment Rehousing Initiative, a street-to-housing program focused on unsheltered homelessness.
- Increase focus on people stuck cycling through emergency shelter stays with no clear path forward.
- Launch a new housing and support program for people with complex behavioral health needs through a multidisciplinary Complex Adaptive Response and Engagement (CARE) Team.
Implementation of a newly redesigned system to support families with children experiencing homelessness.

About the Key to Home Partnership

The Key to Home Partnership is a collective of more than 50 local agencies, service providers, funders, and government partners working together to address homelessness 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.

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