Homeless count finds more C.O. kids on street
New homeless numbers were released Wednesday, and the data showed more Central Oregon kids are living on the streets. Almost half of the nearly 2,200 people experiencing homelessness are under 17 years old.
The Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition gathers data on one day each January to find out how many people are homeless in on the high desert. Officials said 12 school buses full equals the number of homeless children on the high desert.
“It often goes unrecognized, and the number this year is alarming,” said Kenny LaPoint with Housing Works. “It’s unacceptable.”
They found nearly 2,200 people are homeless in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties. Of that number, 41 percent are under 17 years old.
“They just aren’t as visible, and their needs are not as visible” said Toni Ryan with J Bar J Youth Services. “This is our future, and we can’t afford to ignore this population.”
Officials say Cascade Youth and Family shelters are busier than ever. They serve about 500 kids a year, who are staying for longer periods of time.
“Now is the time we ban together and make sure our community is not isolated,” said coalition co-chair Racheal Baker. “Everyone in our community should feel like we have each other and support each other.”
As experts have seen the numbers rise, they’ve also been able to apply for more state and federal grants. There’s been a big push for youth drop-in centers, and three emergency shelters have opened in the last six months.
Mike McDonald, who’s been homeless for five years, said he tries to take it day by day.
“I went from having a kid, to being homeless and having addiction problems,” said McDonald. “I’m out on this corner, trying to make a little money. Usually I try to come out about twice a week.”
Homelessness on the High Desert is a problem that affects the whole community and the newly released numbers show there’s still a lot of work to be done.
There was some positive news in the data, as experts say the number of veterans living on the streets has stabilized and they hope they’ll be going down in the years to come.
