Margaret Salazar, the regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, presents nearly $1 million Wednesday to Central Oregon to address youth homelessness. 

Central Oregon has one of the nation’s highest rates of homelessness among youth and families, which prompted federal officials to select the region for a $950,000 grant for a program that hopes to reduce that number.

Central Oregon was one of 16 locales across the nation selected to receive grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funds will go toward a new program, which was announced Wednesday morning at one of Central Oregon’s two youth homeless shelters.

“Today’s the day we get to tell our youth hope is on the horizon,” said Tammy Baney, the executive director of the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, at a press conference.

The funding from HUD was a vote of confidence in Central Oregon’s ability and determination to address youth homelessness, Baney said.

High rates of youth homelessness

Central Oregon ranks top in the nation for homeless youth and families, new data shows

The program, called the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, uses a community approach to attempt to reduce youth homelessness. In Central Oregon, it will be a collaboration among various organizations including COIC and J Bar J Youth Services, a nonprofit that helps at-risk youth and families.

“Ours is a community that has some of the highest percentages of unsheltered youth homelessness in the country, and our youth greatly need additional resources, which is why we applied for this funding opportunity,” said Eliza Wilson, the director of runaway and homeless youth services for J Bar J.

In 2022, there were 373 homeless Central Oregonians in families with children and 103 homeless unaccompanied youth in Central Oregon, according to a report from HUD. Comparatively, there are only 29 shelter beds for youth in Central Oregon, Wilson said.

Central Oregon has been punching above its weight in national conversations surrounding homelessness measures, according to Margaret Salazar, the northwest regional administrator for HUD.

“It’s been really inspiring to see the local elected officials and practitioners here in Central Oregon really be a squeaky wheel in telling the story about the huge growth — just the population growth — and the need for additional housing supply,” Salazar said. “I think it’s that kind of advocacy that we are then able to lift up and take back to national conversations.”

Central Oregon is doing all the right things to lay the groundwork for additional housing and policy changes to address and prevent homelessness, she said.

Ultimately, housing ends homelessness, Salazar said.

Wednesday’s announcement earned praise from some of Oregon’s federal representatives.

What it’s like to be a homeless teen

Moving trucks, couches, shelters: Stability is hard to find for homeless teens

U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who represents part of Deschutes County in the 5th Congressional District, told The Bulletin in an email she’s supportive of the program and grateful for the funding to address the homelessness crisis.

“In addition to fighting to bring federal funds back to Oregon to tackle this crisis, I’ll continue working on my bipartisan bill, the DIRECT Care for the Homeless Act, to expand health care access to homeless individuals so they can eventually transition into safe and stable housing,” she said.

U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., emphasized the importance of a collaborative regional approach to address and prevent homelessness in Central Oregon, they said in a joint statement.

“This federal investment in Central Oregon will lead to solutions that help young Oregonians get off the street and into housing so they can get their lives on track,” said Wyden.