Houseless Youth and Available Resources

-

 

 

Picture from Koin Article



There are many youth in Portland who are houseless, even if it can be hard to tell just how many. While I 

was able to find statistics for houselessness in Portland for 2022 (about 6,633 people), the annual count 

is not entirely accurate. I also have not been able to find a count of how many youth are houseless more 

recently than 2020, where it was estimated there were about 1,314 unaccompanied houseless youth. It 

is very likely that there are even more, but the pandemic has not made it easy to do an accurate count.


Many of these houseless youth have other things going on that make it more difficult. Such things as 

mental health issues and/or discrimination from ttheir families for (largely) being LGBTQ+ can 

cause/perpetuate houselessness for people. As such, houseless youth want to be near places that 

provide resources for such issues. And there are many organizations that do so. Helping houseless 

youth build up skills for work, renting, etcetera and providing resources for the issues they face is 

incredibly important.

 

Picture from New Avenues for Youth Website

 

One such organization that helps houseless youth, and youth just in general, is New Avenues for Youth. 

They provide resources for mental health, LGBTQ+ and pregnancy. They also provide housing, job 

training, help for youth experiencing sex trafficking, and many other resources and programs. There are 

a few ways people can be involved, though there are likely still some restrictions due to Covid. Even if 

we don’t know the true extent of houselessness in Portland, we still need to provide help to those who 

need it.

 

Other sources used: https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/portland-homeless-youth-band-together-to-survive-sweeps/ 

 

Written by Britta Wenman 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Homelessness

-
Image
  Source (American Addiction Centers)      Homelessness has a myriad of different reasons it can happen. The similarity between all scenarios in which a person is experiencing homelessness is that each person is human. A popular belief is that homelessness is a choice. People believe there is a set amount of circumstances that cause homelessness and that it is a choice not to fight to get out of those problems. The problems can range from mental health issues to drug addiction. There is no one size fits all, and it is not a choice.  Over the last few weeks, I have learned that there are many factors that can lead to homelessness. One big one that focuses on our class is how affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is a significant contributor to people not getting back on their feet. If you want to learn more about that subject and if affordable housing can help, click here.   This lack of affordable housing is a big roadblock for those trying to overcome homelessness. However,
Read more

Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community

-
Image
  Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community Source: Unsplash The Facts                                                                                          According to  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 233,832 are people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the United States. Of the 233,832, 50,767 are families with children.  Currently, 30% of homeless people are adult women.  (portlandoregon.gov)   Bradley Angle , which works to support survivors of  domestic violence , reported that 70% of domestic violence reports are from homeless women. ( www.kgw.com)  Homeless women are 1/3 of the fastest growing populations HUD homeless populations. ( portlandoregon.gov)   Specifically, in Portland, Multnomah County has experienced a 20% rise in homelessness in 2023, the total amount of people homeless in Portland is currently  6,297 . (w illametteweek.com)                                                                     Source: Unsplash   The Problem        
Read more

Helping Fuel a Better Future

-
Image
Feeding the Homeless in Portland, Oregon. Back in 2011 ' Occupy Portland' set up over 300 tents to house,   feed, and check on some of the city's homelessness population . Today, tri-county officials have reported that there are more than 7,000 homeless people living within the Portland City metro area and that number only seems to be increasing. Not only do these people have to worry about not having a stable shelter but one of the biggest issues for them is their lack of food and water. Every single day these individuals wonder about what their next meal will be and where it will come from. Although this blog post is focusing on the homeless populations in Portland it's important to know that Feeding America has stated over 400,000 people in the whole state of Oregon have reported 'hungry'. That is equivalent to 1 in 10 people, so the resources I will mention below are not only for the homeless but anyone who feels they may be in need as well.  Never be afraid
Read more