At 3 a.m., I joined a group of more than 100 volunteers at the Homeless Alliance for one final round of instructions. Then, groups gathered drawstring bags full of supplies and started splitting up to canvas as much of Oklahoma City’s 600 square miles as possible.

The city was still dark, illuminated only by streetlights, city signs and the glow of our flashlights.

May Anchondo, the leader of my seven-person volunteer team and Director of Support Services at the Homeless Alliance, guided us through our assigned locations in southeast Oklahoma City.

“We have different sites that the community identifies, and so we’re walking towards a campsite so that we can see if anyone who might be experiencing homelessness is willing to take a survey with us,” Anchondo said.

She and the other members of my group were bundled up in multiple jackets, attempting to ward off below-freezing temperatures.

Throughout the morning, we approached various shelters and encampments, talking to whoever was willing. We surveyed about a dozen individuals, gathering demographic data and asking questions about their experiences.

People shared stories of domestic abuse, mental health struggles, job loss after the pandemic and even “not wanting to be a burden” as reasons that led to their homelessness.

The results from the surveys are added to data from local homeless shelters and transitional housing programs to provide a “snapshot” of what homelessness looks like on a given night in Oklahoma City.

To receive homeless assistance grants, the results have to be reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development every two years. Oklahoma City has been conducting the count annually since 2003.

But the count is about more than just numbers — it’s also a pathway for outreach. We handed out supplies like toothbrushes, hand warmers, gloves, snacks and bus passes to everyone we met.

Volunteers also asked people they encountered whether they needed information about nearby shelters or support services.

“The Point in Time count is really a look at the human aspect of homelessness,” said Erika Warren, who helped organize this year’s effort. “It’s about understanding what our neighbors are experiencing and how we can show up for them.”

Warren works with the city-led Key to Home initiative. Made up of more than 50 organizations, Key To Home is Oklahoma City’s way of streamlining and connecting various efforts to end homelessness.

Last year, the Point In Time count reported a total of 1,838 people, an increase from the previous year’s 1,436.

According to Warren, this year’s count is expected to be higher, reflecting the ongoing challenges posed by a lack of affordable housing. She said a significant drop won’t be seen until the city’s housing stock increases.

In the meantime, there are still a lot of people who resort to living outside.

Anchondo from the Homeless Alliance says the count helps her imagine what that must be like.

“It also just really brings perspective on why we do what we do, right? Cause it’s cold out there … Even though I work with folks who are experiencing homelessness, and families, and youth, doing Point In Time is a really good opportunity to also just really solidify why the work that we do is really needed in our community.”

During the count, my group came across three people in their early twenties. Last year, 19 of the people counted living outside were between the ages of 18 and 24.

It’s impossible to say whether my group’s numbers translate into any broader trends, but they will contribute to the broader picture of what homelessness looks like in Oklahoma City.

Homelessness is complex, Anchondo says, and solutions the city pursues must serve the people going through it.

This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.