After 2 years of receiving $1,000-a-month in cash assistance, most homeless youth found housing

By MIA MALDONADO/Oregon Capital Chronicle

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.

The results of the pilot Direct Cash Transfer Plus program are encouraging and a worthwhile investment, said Matthew Rasmussen, program manager for the Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program.

“If somebody is really wanting to explore how to slow and end chronic homelessness among adults, then we need to do something to stop young people from entering it,” Rasmussen said.

Young adults aged 18 to 24 experience the highest poverty rates of any age group, according to research from the University of California, Berkeley. In 2024, Oregon had the second highest rate of unsheltered unaccompanied youth in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Based on responses from about half of the program’s participants, 80% of participants became homeless because of a family disruption. Forty-three percent said they had experienced physical abuse by a partner and 71% said they had experienced violence of some kind.

The program prioritized underrepresented populations. That includes young parents, who made up 43% of participants by the end of the period. Forty-six percent of participants also reported they had experience in the foster care and justice system.

More than half of participants were women, while 30% were male and 18% identified as transgender or gender inclusive.

Gabrielle Huffman, a Bend resident, said the program helped her move into a place where she could heal, grow and plan for a sustainable future.

• Oregon Capital Chronicle is a nonprofit Salem-based news service that focuses its reporting on Oregon state government, politics and policy.