Direct cash assistance from the state is helping homeless Oregon youth find housing, according to the results of a pilot program that concluded last year.
In February 2023, the Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program at the Oregon Department of Human Services began providing 120 youth in Multnomah, Clackamas and Deschutes counties ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness with $1,000 monthly until January 2025.
By the end of the two-year period, 94% of participants reported they were housed. Many also reported that they had improved their financial literacy skills, such as learning how to budget and build credit — skills that allowed them to leave unsafe or unstable situations…