Every Step Forward Since 2004
Thanks to Your Support!
2004
The Start of Homeless Alliance
An informal group of community volunteers is incorporated as the Homeless Alliance
and receives 501c3 nonprofit status.
2004
Homeless Management
Information System (HMIS)
Dan Straughan is hired as the first employee and leads the development of a new Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for OKC.
​Last year, this shared database was used by 25 homeless service providers in OKC to coordinate care for 21,907 people.
2005
Community Standards for
Homeless Shelters
Dan convenes the directors of local shelters to develop and adopt "Community Standards for Homeless Shelters."
The shelter directors continue to meet monthly to this day.
2006
WestTown Resource Campus
Property at NW 3rd Street & Virgina Avenue is acquired to build the WestTown Resource Campus.
At this time, OKC was the only city of its size without a general use day shelter facility.
2007
United Way of Central Oklahoma Partner Agency
After submitting an application with the required three years of financial statements, the Homeless Alliance is approved as a United Way of Central Oklahoma partner agency.
2009
Coordinated Case Management
A Coordinated Case Management model for our city is pioneered by our staff. Coordinated Case Management is a collaborative model that addresses the holistic needs of the client through robust coordination of services.
2011
Day Shelter
Our Day Shelter opens to anyone in need of a meal, a shower, or a safe place to rest.
The Shelter now serves an average of 300 people each day and, in collaboration with dozens of partner agencies, offers connections to employment, health care, housing, veterans services, and more.
2012
The Housing First model
The Housing First model -  a national, evidence-based approach that values flexibility, individualized supports, client choice, and autonomy - is introduced to OKC.
Once someone has the safety and stability of a home, then they have the ability to focus on physical and mental health, substance use disorder, employment, and other challenges.
2013
100k Homes Campaign
Representatives from HA, OCHA, VA, and the City of Oklahoma City commit OKC to the national 100k Homes Campaign. This was a national effort to house 100,000 chronically homeless people across the country and was an important step towards enhanced cooperation and coordination in our community.
2013
Curbside Chronicle
​First issue of the Curbside Chronicle is published. This street paper provides low-barrier employment for people struggling with homelessness and poverty. Each sale is also an opportunity to build community and reduce stigma.
2014
Meghan joins the team!
Meghan Mueller joins the Homeless Alliance team as a master’s degree intern from the OU Zarrow School of Social Work. She then becomes a full-time employee and develops many of our key initiatives.
2014
We housed our 1000th Client!
We celebrate the milestone of housing our 1,000th client!
All of our programs, from shelter to supportive employment to permanent supportive housing, exist to help people end their homelessness. As of today, we have helped over 5,500 Oklahomans find a place to call home.
2015
WestTown Apartments
WestTown Apartments opens on our campus with 20 units for veterans and people who are chronically homeless.
People experiencing homelessness are diverse, with varied challenges and skills. Some benefit from this type of supportive environment, while others thrive by being connected with housing in the community, near their work, school, or church.
2016
U.S Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant
​We are awarded a U.S Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant to provide housing stability services to people living with HIV.
This is still the largest federal housing grant in Oklahoma City, serving 360 clients annually.
2018
​Curbside Chronicle wins
Best Magazine in Oklahoma!
​Curbside Chronicle wins Best Magazine in Oklahoma!
It has gone on to win numerous awards from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists annually, including best magazine four more times, as well as awards for photography, profile writing, page design, and reporting.
2019
Housing Navigator
​We develop a plan to outplace trained Homeless Alliance staff at partner agencies to share our unique expertise and be more accessible to those we wish to serve. This innovative "Housing Navigator" model is first tested at Palomar.
We later add Housing Navigators at the YWCA, Diversion Hub, ReMerge, Restore OKC, the Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City Public Schools, Mid-Del Schools, and TEEM. These partnerships impact our community's ability to respond more quickly and effectively to housing needs. This past July, we were invited to share our experiences with this model at a national conference in Washington, D.C.
2019
Street Outreach Team
​The Homeless Alliance launches a street outreach team. Our organization’s core values include meeting people where they are at and meeting basic needs as a pathway to healing and unlocking a person’s full potential. Our street outreach workers live out those values every day by building trust and relationships with our neighbors experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
2020
Curbside Flowers
Curbside Flowers opens as a full-service flower shop providing employment and training to people transitioning out of homelessness in OKC.
Today, our suite of social enterprises also includes Sasquatch Shaved Ice, a program that targets transition age youth, and Curbside Apparel, which is a full-service screen-printing business. Through each of its businesses, Curbside has helped more than 400 individuals and families end their homelessness.
2020
COVID Response Plan
​The Homeless Alliance coordinates the development of the COVID response plan for homeless service providers, which included massive food distribution efforts as well as a quarantine shelter and testing and vaccination pods. This same year, we operated a temporary winter night shelter at Willard School to provide additional beds and reduce shelter crowding.
2022
Community Court
​The Homeless Alliance, in partnership with the Oklahoma City Municipal Court and Crowe & Dunlevy, P.C., leads a program called Community Court that helps city residents experiencing homelessness clear outstanding municipal citations and fines.
2022
Key to Home Partnership
The Key to Home Partnership is developed with the City of Oklahoma City. The Homeless Alliance leads a collaborative pilot program to systematically ‘clear' encampments by offering the residents of the encampment immediate and permanent housing.
2023
1 million copies of Curbside
Chronicle sold!
We celebrate selling 1 million copies of the Curbside Chronicle!
Last year alone, Curbside supportive employment programs provided more than 72,000 hours of employment and created more than $1 million in earnings for program participants.
2023
Winter Shelter
Our Winter Shelter opens as a low-barrier, emergency shelter to anyone seeking refuge from the cold weather overnight. There are 300 beds available to adults, and a kennel area for pets. The Winter Shelter is open annually from November 1 to March 31.
In the first winter season, it provided respite for 3,538 unique guests and their pets.
2024
Leadership Change,
Wayfinder Grant Awarded,
and Day Shelter Hits Record Demand
After 20 years at the helm, Dan Straughan retires and Meghan Mueller is appointed President & CEO.
We receive the highly competitive Wayfinder Grant from the United Way of Central Oklahoma. The grant will allow us to pilot a Homeless System Diversion program which should reduce the strain on our shelters and provide early intervention for our neighbors who are newly homeless. Other communities have found this approach to be both effective and compassionate and we are excited to help bring the model to OKC.
On January 16, 2024, our Day Shelter served a single-day record of 576 people in our space that was originally designed to accommodate 150.
We have much to celebrate, but there is so much more to do!