Key to Home’s Early Intervention Program set to expand citywide
Published on September 17, 2026
The Key to Home Partnership has marked the one-year anniversary of its Early Intervention and Rapid Exit pilot program, a short-term intervention designed to help individuals and families experiencing a housing crisis exit homelessness quickly.
Since its launch, the program has helped 303 people rapidly exit homelessness. Key to Home is now advancing to the next phase of scaling the model citywide over 2026–2027, with a goal of helping 400 additional people.
Early Intervention and Rapid Exit is built on the premise that the sooner someone receives support after becoming homeless, the faster and more affordably they can be reconnected to stable housing. Case managers work directly with participants to remove immediate barriers through housing problem-solving and short-term financial assistance, if needed. The goal is resolving a housing crisis in weeks rather than months or years. Because the intervention is brief and targeted, it is one of the most cost-effective tools for quickly resolving someone's homelessness, with the average cost across the pilot being about $1,500 per person.
The program is a success thanks to these Key to Home partners:
- Catholic Charities
- City Care
- City Rescue Mission
- Heartline
- Homeless Alliance
- Pivot
- Salvation Army
- Sisu Youth Services
"The pilot proves if we reach people when they first lose their housing, we can have a significant and positive impact in both people's lives and the overall effectiveness of the homeless response system," said Jamie Caves, Strategy Implementation Manager for Key to Home. "Early intervention is a cost-effective and person-centered tool for addressing homelessness, a win-win for our community."
"Working in homeless services, I've seen many instances of people in a housing crisis working hard to get back into housing, but they hit a barrier that keeps them from getting in the door, like a deposit or first month's rent," said Jennifer Kill, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. "Finding funding to cover those gaps can take time, adding more days the client is without a roof. Having dedicated resources through the Early Intervention program, like flexible funds to help bridge those gaps, means we can meet the need immediately, shortening the experience of homelessness for the client, and allowing our team to serve even more people."
People who need assistance and want to learn more about eligibility for the program can contact one of the agencies listed above.
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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