Housing

Responding to the Executive Order on Homelessness: What the Evidence Really Says

Leave a Comment / Homelessness, Housing, Mental Health News, Uncategorized /

On July 24, 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order on homelessness and mental health treatment, an action which raises serious concerns for those working on the front lines of housing and mental health. Among the directives are proposals that would expand the involuntary commitment of individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, substance use disorder, […]

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Relentless Compassion: How Street Medicine Helped Mr. P Find His Way Home 

Leave a Comment / Homelessness, Housing /

In Oklahoma, hundreds of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness live in places most of us overlook: under bridges, in encampments, or even on a bus bench. For these neighbors, access to health care often feels impossible. But at Mental Health Association Oklahoma (MHAOK), we believe that health care is a human right, no matter where you

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When Suffering Becomes Policy: Oklahoma’s Eviction Crisis

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Over 48,000 evictions were filed in Oklahoma in 2024. Whether or not these cases resulted in displacement, the harm begins the moment an eviction is filed. Evictions aren’t just legal proceedings—they are traumatic events with lasting consequences. Workers who experience an eviction are 22% more likely to lose their jobs. In the year following an

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MHAOK’s 2024 permanent supportive housing stability rate topped 90%. Here is why this matters:

Leave a Comment / Homelessness, Housing /

Nonprofits that focus on permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs play a pivotal role in addressing homelessness and housing instability, especially in states like Oklahoma, where affordable housing is in short supply, and eviction rates are alarmingly high. As an indicator of success, housing stability rate is a critical element of PSH programs. It tells us

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From homelessness to housing to a valued MHAOK employee

Leave a Comment / Homelessness, Housing, Success Stories /

Skeeter’s story is about determination, resilience, and the power of second chances. Having faced the challenge of homelessness compounded by substance use, Skeeter’s journey had been a tumultuous one. Previous attempts at housing were unsuccessful, primarily due to the complexities of his substance use. However, Skeeter’s life turned positive when he joined our housing program

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Street Outreach houses an ‘Angel’

Leave a Comment / Homelessness, Housing, Street Outreach, Success Stories, Youth Mental Health /

Angel, a native Oklahoman, was a mere twelve years old when she slipped out of the only place she called home and into the unknown. For five years, each day was a struggle for hope, a struggle for survival, as she endured the unforgiving reality that her stepfather’s sexual abuse was shattering her. “I had

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House Bill 1031X introduces three new programs to incentivize affordable housing statewide

Leave a Comment / Advocacy, Homelessness, Housing, Street Outreach /

Imagine a bridge.  One side of it is rickety, precarious. The area on that side of the bridge is derelict, but most don’t know it because most don’t see it. It could be hidden by trees or dilapidated structures, or it could go unseen simply because so many people don’t know or care to look.

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An inside view of Governor Stitt’s dissolution of the GICH

Leave a Comment / Advocacy, Housing, Media Coverage /

As we continue to advocate for the most vulnerable Oklahomans, we recognize and applaud the innovative leadership at all levels who work alongside us in this fight to end homelessness. As our own Kelly Dyer Fry said in Sunday’s op-ed for the Oklahoman (a paper at which she was the editor for nearly a decade),

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True homeless count overflows ONEOK Field: an op ed by Terri White

Leave a Comment / Housing, Media Coverage, Mental Health News /

As advocates for the most vulnerable in our community, it is imperative that we continue to raise awareness, strategically and comprehensively. Saturday’s edition of the Tulsa World included a valuable piece on the alarming affordable housing deficit and its clear impact on our fight against homelessness. Click here for the digital version of the latest

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