Record number of homeless students in Oregon this year

According to newly released data from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), the rate of students without a home has increased by 8 percent from the 2013-14 school year. Oregon school districts identified 20,524 homeless K-12 students during the 2014-15 school year.

From the ODE:

The number of children and youth in shelters has remained steady in recent years, a sign that capacity has been reached and new shelter beds are not available. The largest increases came from the numbers of children living in motels (a 14% increase) and the number of unsheltered youth (a 19% increase). The number of homeless students who are unaccompanied by parents or guardians also increased by 6.5%, to 3,321. The vast majority of homeless youth, both in Oregon and nationally, are living in doubled up housing due to economic hardship.

In Lane County, ODE reported 722 unhoused students in 4J, representing 4.24 percent of 4J’s student population. Bethel had 407 unhoused students, or 7.21 percent of its student population, and Springfield had 491 unhoused students, or 4.44 percent of all students.

Eugene and Bethel’s numbers have grown from the 2013-14 school year, while Springfield’s numbers have dropped, from 580 in the 2013-14 year to 491 students in the most recent data year, 2014-15.

For the full data list, see ODE’s website.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!