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Broad coalition backs bill to expand youth homelessness funding and services statewide
Summary
A broad coalition of providers, lawmakers and advocates urged the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services to support House Bill 3079, which would expand and stabilize funding for youth homelessness prevention and services and increase eligibility for prevention programs to birth through 12th grade.
Representative Emerson Levy of Central Oregon opened the Feb. 25 hearing in support of House Bill 3079, telling the committee the bill aims to rebuild Oregon’s youth homelessness system and to restore services that diminished after budget cuts a decade ago.
"The early investments pay off in spades," Representative Emerson Levy said, describing a Central Oregon youth who left living in a car and, after entering a JBARJ program, received housing, case management and education supports. "Eighty-five percent of the youth who get into one of these programs does not turn out to be a homeless adult," Levy said.
Christopher McMoran, chief of staff for Senator Lisa Reynolds, testified the senator — a pediatrician — strongly supports HB 3079 and favors expanding the state’s youth homelessness prevention program’s eligibility from K–12 to birth through grade 12. "Being homeless for as little as three months as a youth often leads to chronic adult homelessness," McMoran said.
Doug Riggs of the Alliance for Kids and Britt (Bridal)…
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