Broad coalition backs bill to expand youth homelessness funding and services statewide
February 25, 2025 | Early Childhood and Human Services, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon
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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) Conroy of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon described program history, fiscal needs and provider challenges. They said the state’s 2023 investments moved the state forward but left many counties with no or limited youth services. Riggs said the coalition is developing a dash-3 amendment to address Department of Human Services concerns about assignment of funding and whether funds should go to DHS, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) or other agencies.
Conroy outlined the Youth Experiencing Homelessness prevention program (YEP/YIP/Yeehaw as referenced in testimony), referenced a 2023 ODHS study estimating a $154 million-per-biennium price tag to fully address unaccompanied youth homelessness, and said the 2023 appropriation left the state at about one-sixth of the estimated need; HB 3079 would move funding to roughly one-third of that need. He reported that the YIP program received over $60 million in grant applications during the last cycle.
Multiple community providers and people with lived experience testified in support: Eliza Wilson (JBARJ Youth Services), Ashley Kirkhart (Looking Glass Community Services), Keisha Gonzalez Oliver (Portland Community College student), Mary Farrell (Maslow Project), Sam Temple (Family Faith and Relationship Advocates), Cheyenne Nichols and client testimony recorded by Maslow Project, Bridget Budbill (Human Services Coalition of Oregon), Vera Stowell (Oregon Alliance of Children's Programs) and others. Testifiers described outreach, shelter, host-home and housing subsidy work and cited measurable outcomes: localized reductions in unsheltered youth in some regions, improved graduation rates for students receiving wraparound supports, and success stories where emergency housing stabilized families.
Witnesses and sponsors identified two immediate challenges: (1) counties with no existing youth wraparound services (roughly 15 counties remain underserved), and (2) fiscal strain on small nonprofit providers who face rising wage and operating costs and a biennial budgeting calendar that leaves organizations vulnerable to cash-flow gaps before new biennial funds are disbursed. Doug Riggs and Britt Conroy said they will ask Ways and Means for possible bridge funding to prevent closures while the legislature finalizes allocations.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about the dash-2 amendment language establishing an emergency certified provider-capacity grant and about whether the new program funding overlaps or differs from the Emergency Housing Account. Riggs said the new provider-capacity grant is intended as a separate, short-term bridge in areas facing immediate fiscal crises; it would not replace the emergency housing account. Conroy described the budgeting calendar problem for small nonprofits and urged the legislature to consider mechanisms that reduce the risk of losing community providers during the funding transition.
No committee vote was taken; the public hearing was closed. Sponsors said a dash-3 amendment would be filed to respond to agency concerns and clarify funding flows and program targeting before the bill moves forward.
"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) Conroy of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon described program history, fiscal needs and provider challenges. They said the state’s 2023 investments moved the state forward but left many counties with no or limited youth services. Riggs said the coalition is developing a dash-3 amendment to address Department of Human Services concerns about assignment of funding and whether funds should go to DHS, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) or other agencies.
Conroy outlined the Youth Experiencing Homelessness prevention program (YEP/YIP/Yeehaw as referenced in testimony), referenced a 2023 ODHS study estimating a $154 million-per-biennium price tag to fully address unaccompanied youth homelessness, and said the 2023 appropriation left the state at about one-sixth of the estimated need; HB 3079 would move funding to roughly one-third of that need. He reported that the YIP program received over $60 million in grant applications during the last cycle.
Multiple community providers and people with lived experience testified in support: Eliza Wilson (JBARJ Youth Services), Ashley Kirkhart (Looking Glass Community Services), Keisha Gonzalez Oliver (Portland Community College student), Mary Farrell (Maslow Project), Sam Temple (Family Faith and Relationship Advocates), Cheyenne Nichols and client testimony recorded by Maslow Project, Bridget Budbill (Human Services Coalition of Oregon), Vera Stowell (Oregon Alliance of Children's Programs) and others. Testifiers described outreach, shelter, host-home and housing subsidy work and cited measurable outcomes: localized reductions in unsheltered youth in some regions, improved graduation rates for students receiving wraparound supports, and success stories where emergency housing stabilized families.
Witnesses and sponsors identified two immediate challenges: (1) counties with no existing youth wraparound services (roughly 15 counties remain underserved), and (2) fiscal strain on small nonprofit providers who face rising wage and operating costs and a biennial budgeting calendar that leaves organizations vulnerable to cash-flow gaps before new biennial funds are disbursed. Doug Riggs and Britt Conroy said they will ask Ways and Means for possible bridge funding to prevent closures while the legislature finalizes allocations.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about the dash-2 amendment language establishing an emergency certified provider-capacity grant and about whether the new program funding overlaps or differs from the Emergency Housing Account. Riggs said the new provider-capacity grant is intended as a separate, short-term bridge in areas facing immediate fiscal crises; it would not replace the emergency housing account. Conroy described the budgeting calendar problem for small nonprofits and urged the legislature to consider mechanisms that reduce the risk of losing community providers during the funding transition.
No committee vote was taken; the public hearing was closed. Sponsors said a dash-3 amendment would be filed to respond to agency concerns and clarify funding flows and program targeting before the bill moves forward.
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