Key to Home houses 55 people, closes Virginia Avenue encampment

The Key to Home Partnership has closed another Oklahoma City encampment, moving 55 people into housing as its Encampment Rehousing Initiative continues beyond its original goal. 

The latest effort focused on an encampment along Virginia Avenue, where 55 people have moved into apartments with supportive services. Another 20 people from the site are in the housing process with move-ins pending. 

“After extensive research and planning, we prioritized this site given its size, safety concerns, and proximity to active traffic,” said Jamie Caves, strategy implementation manager for Key to Home. “We were committed to developing a thoughtful plan that offered real solutions for the neighborhood, as well as a dignified response for those living in the encampment.” 

Several organizations participated in the effort. The Homeless Alliance and staff from the Mental Health Association provided outreach and engagement, while City Rescue Mission secured apartments for people living at the encampment. Focus on Home furnished the apartments with household necessities, and the Oklahoma City Housing Authority and Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency assisted with rental subsidies. 

The Education and Employment Ministry cleaned the site. The City of Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team secured the area and will continue monitoring it to prevent the encampment from being reestablished. 

Catholic Charities, City Rescue Mission and the Homeless Alliance will provide case management over the next year to help those who have moved into housing adjust and work toward long-term stability. 

“We’re grateful for the vital partnership of the service providers whose hard work makes this kind of success possible,” Caves said. “We’re not shuffling people from site to site, we’re providing solutions that result in long-term stability and transformation in people’s lives.” 

Key to Home originally set a goal of housing 500 people through its Encampment Rehousing Initiative by the end of 2025. The partnership has continued the effort after surpassing that goal. 

To date, the initiative has housed nearly 700 people and families experiencing homelessness and closed 35 encampment sites. Key to Home also monitors closed sites to prevent them from being repopulated. 

The Encampment Rehousing Initiative is part of Key to Home’s broader, data-driven strategy to reduce homelessness in Oklahoma City. The partnership includes more than 50 organizations working together to coordinate services, share data and invest in strategies aimed at strengthening the city’s homelessness response system. 

Learn more about Key to Home and its strategic priorities at keytohomeokc.org.