Our
Successes

HB 2001 (2023) passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, and:

• Increased funding for youth homelessness by $25 million, part of a total of $200 million to support people experiencing homelessness

• Invested in innovative "modular" housing that communities could rapidly deploy

• Addressed eviction issues and incentivized local governments to complete regular housing analyses

HB 3009 (2023) directed the Department of Human Services to establish and administer a program to provide services to youth with acute needs and their families, including:

• Psychiatric residential treatment

• Subacute care, and

• Secure intensive community inpatient facilities, ensuring multilevel, ongoing wraparound services.

HB 2454 (2023) allocated $12.5 million to the Department of Human Services for grants to increase access to shelter facilities, outreach, culturally specific services, and mental health or substance abuse services for homeless youth.

Drive4Kids raised money for Oregon Youth in August 2022. A "fun run" up the usually closed Maryhill Loops Road, outside of Goldendale, Washington, drivers experienced an 850-foot elevation gain, 25 curves, and beautiful vistas.

Representatives Barbara Smith Warner and Christine Drazan championed HB 2544 (2021). The bill gave the Department of Human Services an additional $1.8 million to award two-year grants to organizations that provide services to unaccompanied homeless youth and operate “host home projects.” These grants fund community organizations that:

• offer shelter

• “culturally-responsive” services

• mental health as well as substance use support

• tutoring, and

• nutrition services to help youth continue their education.

HB 4013 (2021) modified HB 2544 (2021 or 2020?) to expand services for homeless youth into unserved areas, extend tuition and housing assistance, and require the state to propose a plan to reduce youth homelessness by 25% in 5 years.

HB 2424 (2021):

• Directed the Department of Human Services to develop a child-caring agency grant and training program

• Created a qualified mental health associate incentive program within the Oregon Health Authority

• Prescribed educational and training requirements for qualified mental health associates assisting child-caring agencies

In November 2020, we held a zoom discussion with the Schoolhouse Connection, Portland Business Alliance, Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action HOME Youth Services and a youth representative affected by homelessness to ask how we can reduce the number of adults who are homeless on Oregon’s streets over the next decade.

Despite political focus and public investment, the number of people without housing in Oregon continues to grow -- up 25% between 2018 and 2020 in Portland for families and youth, with COVID-19 exacerbating the crisis. Many experts believe it’s time to overhaul our current approach. We discussed an innovative proposal to allocate dramatically more resources for homeless and unaccompanied youth — two-thirds of whom go on to become permanently homeless as adults.