Oregon pilot program giving cash to homeless youths sees staggering reduction in homelessness

In a recent article titled “Oregon pilot program giving cash to homeless youths sees staggering reduction in homelessness,” Jake Thomas of Street Roots, a local Portland newspaper, highlights the importance of flexible cash assistance and supportive services for emerging adults ages 18–24 who are experiencing homelessness or aging out of systems of care.

The article underscores that, in traditional households, young adults often receive ongoing support and guidance from family members, support that many system-impacted or unhoused young adults lack. Oregon’s Department of Self-Sufficiency implemented a housing-focused intervention that provided both direct cash transfers and wraparound services. This approach has contributed to economic security and stability, with 91 percent of participants reporting stability by the end of the two-year program.

The article features and quotes Policy Entrepreneur Sofie Fashana:

Sofie Fashana, a researcher and policy entrepreneur with progressive think tank Next100, said other programs that seek to address youth homelessness exclude people who don’t check exactly the right boxes. “These systems we have are so limiting,” she said. “They always weigh people’s trauma against another person. And we don’t live in a world where one size fits all that.”

Fashana was working with Point Source Youth and participated in a focus group during the pandemic when Oregon was trying to respond to a rise in youth homelessness. She said the focus group included community organizations, state leaders and young people experiencing homelessness. The youths made clear that what they needed most was flexible cash, she said.

But Fashana said the program does not have a clear definition of what housing stability means and that nonprofits working with youths experiencing homelessness should develop a common understanding. She said case managers might consider someone stably housed one week because they’re sleeping on a friend’s couch, but are considered homeless if it’s no longer available.

The 120 youths currently enrolled in the two-year program will again be paired with nonprofits who will provide services and support with managing the money. Fashana said it is clear the support piece is key to the success of cash payment programs for homeless youth.

Fashana said she held a roundtable discussion last year with recipients of the program, advocates and others. She said a key message from the discussion was that community and guidance were needed in addition to cash.