Homeless Alliance

Day shelter - in addition to providing safe respite, the homeless alliance's low-barrier day shelter serves as the "front door" to accessing services for the homeless in oklahoma city. In 2024, the day shelter served 133,083 meals and provided 21,216 showers to 14,097 unduplicated guests. Guests can access mail services, hygiene items, a kennel and pet food for companion animals, barber services, and a host of therapeutic and educational group meetings. The day shelter provides a safe space where staff from the homeless alliance and other local agencies can engage with guests including crisis counseling, veteran services, civil legal assistance, state benefits (tanf, snap, etc.), and primary and mental health care.

Supportive employment - the homeless alliance provides employment training to individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness through four social enterprises. The curbside chronicle provides both a voice and low-barrier employment opportunities through the distribution of our award-winning monthly magazine. Curbside flowers is a full-service flower shop and curbside apparel is a screen-printing business; these two social enterprises provide more structured work opportunities for experienced curbside chronicle vendors. Finally, sasquatch shaved ice employs youth who are at-risk of homelessness due to generational poverty and involvement with the foster care and/or juvenile justice systems at local snow cone stands and a mobile unit. In 2024, curbside enterprises provided employment and income opportunities to 454 unduplicated people, generated 72,612 hours of paid work, and put $1,016,478 directly into the pockets of people working to overcome homelessness and poverty.

Collaboration - the homeless alliance facilitates collaboration among the 100+ government, faith-based and nonprofit agencies serving the homeless in oklahoma city. This function is critical because individuals and families experiencing homelessness generally have multiple barriers to sustained housing and no single agency is able to address all barriers. For example, they may be struggling with physical disability or illness, mental illness, addiction, domestic violence, lack of employment and education, developmental disability, generational poverty, and/or a criminal record. The homeless alliance operates the westtown homeless resource campus where professional staff (including physicians, lawyers, social workers, case managers, and employment specialists) from different agencies come together to address the unique barriers to sustained housing for each client.

Winter shelter - in november 2023, the homeless alliance opened oklahoma city's first permanent winter shelter. It is open nightly from november 1 through march 31 and has beds for up to 300 adults and their pets. This shelter saves lives during the coldest months while connecting individuals with health care, housing, and other services. This was our first winter open and we served 3,538 unique guests.