In 2024, there were a total of 1,838 “countable” people who were experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City on the night of the Point in Time count.

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While these Point in Time count numbers provide good data to track trends over long periods of time, we have a tool that tracks service use and numbers on a daily basis. Throughout the year of 2023, 22,174 people were served by programs that record data in this Homeless Management Information System.

 

Point In Time Count

Each year, Oklahoma City takes one day to count and survey people who are experiencing homelessness. The intention is to provide a snapshot of homelessness in Oklahoma City, of both the number of people and their characteristics. A large team of community volunteers from more than 25 organizations survey people in emergency homeless shelters, transitional housing facilities, hot meal sites, crisis facilities, encampments, and various street locations.

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The Point-in-Time count yields valuable trend data to help service providers understand how many local people are homeless and what kinds of needs they have. This information aids in planning Oklahoma City’s services and programs to feed and shelter the population as well as to help them find affordable housing, access services and ultimately end their homelessness.

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The Point in Time groups people into several categories including the number of people staying in overnight shelters, transitional housing, and people who are unsheltered. Oklahoma City’s unsheltered population decreased this year from 31% to 24%. While this is encouraging, the entire system is still working diligently to bring that number even lower.

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This survey does not attempt to count people who are staying in hotels, treatment facilities, emergency rooms, jails or people who are considered “couch homeless,” people who are homeless but temporarily staying with a friend, relative or acquaintance. The number of couch homeless is uncertain, but the Oklahoma City Public School District had 1,952 children experiencing homelessness enrolled at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year, the majority of whom were couch homeless.

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In Oklahoma City in 2024, the Point in Time count found:

·       7% of the population are veterans

·       17% are members of families with children

·       36% are female, 62% are male, 2% are transgender or another gender identity

·       45% are white, 35% are black, 9% are Native American

·       9% are youth age 24 or younger

·       20% of the population reports mental illness

·       24% are considered “chronically” homeless

·       62% were staying in a shelter, 13% in transitional housing, 24% unsheltered, 1% in safe havens

 

The Point-in-Time count is a joint project of the City of Oklahoma City and the Homeless Alliance.

 

Click here to read the full 2024 Point in Time Report.  

 

*This is a very challenging population to count accurately. And while a lot of planning and research goes into making sure we get the most complete picture as possible, things like the weather on the day of the count and a change in counting strategies can impact the results. The Point in Time Count is a one-day census required by the federal government, and although it provides a helpful snapshot of the situation, it should not be considered an exclusive measuring tool.

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1,838 people were counted in 2024. This is up from 1,436 in 2023. While the number of people counted on that single night increased, this was very much expected by both city officials and nonprofit leaders.

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For many years, Oklahoma City has been very lucky to experience incredible population growth but a relatively flat increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness. Our community is nimble and collaborative, which has allowed us to do this. However, our community now finds itself 3 years out from the global pandemic that changed the lives of many in ways that we are still uncovering.  When someone becomes homeless, they have often exhausted all other means of support or safety nets that are available to them. It’s not an instantaneous process, which is why we are just now seeing such an increase in people experiencing homelessness as an effect of the pandemic so many years after its onset. 

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Many other communities around the country, such as Kansas City and Tulsa, have seen higher PIT counts this year. Oklahoma City is no different, especially considering our well-known issues with affordable housing. 

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