An Oklahoma City police officer leaned against his car, watching as a two-man crew tossed a shopping cart, empty suitcase and other items into the back of a trailer. A homeless encampment in a north Oklahoma City park was being dismantled on a windy fall afternoon, a visible show of the city’s effort to decrease its homeless population.
But this cleanup job was just the last step in a new program designed to transition people experiencing homelessness into housing.
Launched last year, the city’s Key to Home program is a more than $12 million effort to reverse the recent trend of increased homelessness. Part of the goal is to reduce the visibility of homeless encampments with a supportive yet firm approach: Social services and housing are the first steps, followed by a citation and, if necessary, forcible removal.
According to the city, 21 encampments have been closed and more than 330 individuals have been moved into stable housing. Around 91 percent of those who are engaged by Key to Home case workers accept support, which the city says dispels the notion that many experiencing homelessness don’t want help. City officials said none of the contacts have ended with a citation or arrest.
“We are thrilled at the progress we’ve made so far,” said Jamie Caves, the partnership strategy implementation manager for the Key to Home program.
The new program has its challenges. The region’s network of homeless organizations has had to alter its work, and some closed encampments have spurred perceptions of a focus on areas with big economic development programs — “Not true,” said Erika Warren, a Key to Home spokesperson.
Key to Home also comes at a time when local governments have been given permission to be more aggressive in responding to homelessness. Some cities across the country and in Oklahoma have used aggressive laws and citations to forcibly clear the streets of homeless individuals.
However, Key to Home supporters said it’s not only a more humane way to respond to homelessness but also leads to long-term success.
“They are our neighbors, but they have some enormous challenges we can hardly imagine, and programs like Key to Home meet the need,” Mayor David Holt said.
Paradigm shift
Under Key to Home, the city has been divided into zones that are assigned to different social agencies. An outreach team makes initial contact with an encampment to determine what needs exist and how many people need help.
Once a camp is identified for closure, case managers start to visit more frequently and organize housing units along with the support services needed. The goal is to have everyone in the encampment housed within four to six weeks, with support services remaining for up to a year.
“Before Key to Home, the coordination (among various agencies) wasn’t as sophisticated as it could be,” Warren said.
Meghan Mueller, CEO of Homeless Alliance, a partner in Key to Home, said the case managers are critical in ensuring newly housed individuals don’t end up back on the streets.
“The case managers are really walking alongside folks because it can be a pretty jarring transition,” Mueller said. “Going from an encampment to moving (to an apartment) in a couple of weeks is such a rapid process, so it’s really important for a case manager to help people stabilize and develop the skills that they need to live in an apartment. When it’s that abrupt, it can be overwhelming.”
While Homeless Alliance has been working in the homeless community for many years, Mueller said the Key to Home program brings a paradigm shift.
“Before (Key to Home), people were self-selecting into the support system, the client was taking the first step to engage us … either by calling a provider or showing up for day shelter services or overnight services,” Mueller said. “But we are now engaging with people who have not engaged with that process themselves.”
When an encampment is identified, a date is set for closure.
“We work with the police department’s Homeless Outreach Team, and they will tell people, ‘This site is closing, and if you are here after this date, you are subject to trespassing and possible arrest,’” Warren said. “That’s a last resort and not something that I think has ever happened since the program started.”
The police department’s Homeless Outreach Team also coordinates with area police precincts to make sure other officers know an encampment is being addressed.
“They might let the local precinct know that an encampment in their jurisdiction has been identified and doesn’t need police intervention at this time,” Warren said. “We don’t want any misunderstanding. After closure, we can say, ‘This site is closed, so let us know if you still see people.’”
Building trust
Cathy, who has been homeless for at least three years, said she has had contact with workers from the Key to Home program but hasn’t accepted housing. Police and city workers have cleared her encampments at least twice, but she has always moved to a different neighborhood.
“I just haven’t been able to stick with it when it comes to getting help; I’ve had some … issues with abuse in the past,” said Cathy, whose last name is being withheld to protect her identity.
Warren said victims of domestic abuse can be the most challenging to help, which is why she believes the holistic approach of Key to Homes can be so impactful. Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the country.
Key to Home partners acknowledge that a person might not be placed in a home on the first attempt, but the hope is that continuing to build trust will eventually be successful.
“The trust-building becomes so important,” Mueller said. “It’s hard to quickly build the rapport that’s necessary.”
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities can ban people from camping in public places. Across the country, some cities responded with new laws.
Before the ruling, Shawnee city leaders passed an ordinance prohibiting sitting or lying down on sidewalks, an effort to move homeless individuals from the city’s downtown.
“It is a very difficult balancing act, balancing those competing needs between unhoused and housed neighbors,” said Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer, Shawnee’s city manager.
Warren, with Key to Home, hopes the city’s new program shows a helping hand is more effective than a ticket.
“We want to address this problem because we don’t want people living on the street,” Warren said. “People deserve housing, and they deserve dignity.”
This article appears in Stitt’s Top Ten.