In 2025, there were a total of 1,882 “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 2024, 21,850 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 by 3%. While this is encouraging, the entire system is still working diligently to bring that number even lower through collaborative partnerships such as the Key to Home Program.

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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 reported 26,000 children experiencing homelessness enrolled in 2024, the majority of whom were couch homeless.

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In Oklahoma City in 2025, the Point in Time count found:

• 7% are veterans
• 19% are members of families with children
• 35% are female, 63% are male, and 2% are another gender identity
• 42% are white, 32% are black, and 9% are Native American
• 9% are youth age 24 or younger
• 24% report mental illness
• 23% are considered “chronically” homeless
• 63% are staying in a shelter, 13% are in transitional housing, and 22% are unsheltered

 

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 2025 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, which was a 28% increase 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 due to factors like the end of COVID era funding and a lack of affordable housing. In 2025, however, we saw a decrease of 2.4%.

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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. City leaders see the smaller increase between 2024 and 2025 as a sign that we are on the right track. However, significant work still remains to be done to solve the constant inflow of new individuals and families into our system. ​

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