Homeless Alliance

ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN OKC BY PROVIDING HOUSING, FACILITATING COLLABORATION AMONG CONCERNED COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND OPERATING THE ONLY DAY SHELTER IN OKC.

HOUSING - HOMELESSNESS IS A COMPLEX ISSUE WITH MANY CAUSES, BUT THE FIRST AND FOREMOST SOLUTION IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND WRAPAROUND CASE MANAGEMENT TO HOMELESS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, HOMELESS VETERANS, CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, AND PERSONS WITH POSITIVE HIV DIAGNOSIS. DURING 2022, THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE PROVIDED 1,887 INDIVIDUALS WITH HOUSING SUPPORT SUCH AS RENTAL AND DEPOSIT ASSISTANCE, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, AND CASE MANAGEMENT. THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE OWNS AND OPERATES THE WESTTOWN APARTMENTS, WHICH HAS 20 SINGLE-ROOM OCCUPANCY UNITS. THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE ALSO HAS A STREET OUTREACH TEAM WHICH IS FOCUSED ON CONNECTING UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS WITH HOUSING.

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 MORE THAN 20 DIFFERENT AGENCIES COME TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE BARRIERS TO SUSTAINED HOUSING FOR EACH CLIENT. THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE ALSO MANAGES THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (HMIS) WHICH IS USED BY 24 HOMELESS-SERVICE AGENCIES IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THIS SHARED DATABASE HELPS US IDENTIFY UNMET COMMUNITY NEEDS AND PROVIDE ACCURATE DATA ON HOMELESSNESS TO STAKEHOLDERS.

SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT - THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT TRAINING TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT-RISK OF HOMELESSNESS THROUGH THREE SOCIAL ENTERPRISES. THE CURBSIDE CHRONICLE PROVIDES BOTH A VOICE AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION OF OUR AWARD-WINNING MONTHLY MAGAZINE. THE MAGAZINE OFFERS BOTH AN ALTERNATIVE TO PANHANDLING AND THE DIGNITY OF SELLING A QUALITY PRODUCT. IN 2022, 276 CLIENTS COMPLETED NEW VENDOR ORIENTATION AND 132,000 MAGAZINES WERE SOLD. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING A SOURCE OF INCOME, THE CURBSIDE CHRONICLE WORKS WITH ITS VENDORS TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS TO TRADITIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND DEVELOP TIME MANAGEMENT, MONEY MANAGEMENT, AND SOCIAL SKILLS. CURBSIDE FLOWERS IS A FULL-SERVICE FLOWER SHOP THAT PROVIDES MORE STRUCTURED WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCED CURBSIDE CHRONICLE VENDORS. CURBSIDE FLOWERS TRAINS AND EMPLOYS 20 FLORISTS YEAR-ROUND AND APPROXIMATELY 50 ADDITIONAL SEASONAL WORKERS. 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 TWO SNOW CONE STANDS AND A MOBILE UNIT. IN 2022, CURBSIDE FLOWERS AND SASQUATCH SHAVED ICE PROVIDED 18,340 HOURS OF PAID SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT.

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 2022, THE DAY SHELTER SERVED 75,484 MEALS AND PROVIDED 16,261 SHOWERS TO 11,555 UNDUPLICATED GUESTS. GUESTS CAN ACCESS COMPUTERS AND TELEPHONES, A MAILING ADDRESS, A KENNEL AND PET FOOD FOR COMPANION ANIMALS, BARBER SERVICES, AND A HOST OF CLASSES FOR GUEST INCLUDING ART, AA, NA, BIBLE DEVOTIONAL, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS THERAPEUTIC AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THE DAY SHELTER PROVIDES A SAFE SPACE WHERE STAFF FROM THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE AND OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES CAN ENGAGE WITH GUESTS INCLUDING VETERAN SERVICES, CIVIL LEGAL ASSISTANCE, STATE BENEFITS (TANF, SNAP, ETC.), PRIMARY HEALTH CARE AS WELL AS COUNSELING AND TREATMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH, CRISIS COUNSELING, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, STI/STD TESTING AND, OF COURSE, HOUSING ASSISTANCE.