Causes: Homeless & Housing, Homeless Centers, Homeless Shelters, Human Services, Temporary Housing

Mission: Jackson street youth services provides safe, secure shelter and related services to youth, ages 10 to 24, who are homeless or experiencing a personal or family crisis. We operate a 24-hr phone help line, provide emergency shelter and transitional housing, and offer an array of outreach services to youth and families.

Programs: Emergency/transitional shelter for minors: jackson street operates two overnight shelters for youth ages 10 to 17. Corvallis house opened in 2001 and has 12 beds. Albany house opened in 2015, and has 10 beds. During fy 16-17, 134 youth stayed at corvallis house and/or albany house, for a total of 6,073 nights. Most of the youth we serve need a place to stay for less than two weeks. Shelters offer a home-like environment, family-style meals, help with transportation to school and appointments, tutoring, and a variety of educational and recreational activities. Family mediation, referrals for counseling or medical care, clothing and personal items are provided as needed. Most youth are able to reunite with their families with a new feeling of hope and a new knowledge of community resources to help them succeed long-term. However, some youth do not have a stable home to return to. Our goal is to allow these youth to stay as long as they need to, and to help them locate a new, healthy, permanent living situation. A transitional shelter case manager works with each of these youth to create an individual plan for stable housing and to help them learn the skills they will need as they transition to living independently. After leaving the shelter, all youth are contacted periodically by our after-care case manager to keep them connected to any on-going services they might need.

outreach services for youth & young adults, ages 10 to 24: many of our outreach services are intended to prevent youth from becoming homeless or running away. For youth already on the streets, or those who are "couch-surfing" (not on the streets but without long-term stable housing), we work to increase their safety by providing basic needs, case management, referrals to community services, etc. We strive to help these youth find a path to education, employment, and skill-building for future success. Last year 809 youth throughout linn, benton, and lincoln counties accessed one or more of our outreach services, which are available for teens and also for young adults (up to age 24) who are too old to stay in our state-licensed shelters, but still need assistance as they work to achieve adult independence. Outreach clients have access to tutoring, mentoring, peer-support groups, and independent living skills workshops. Other outreach services include: a 24-hour help line (834 calls last year); an after-school drop-in center in albany; and recreational and service-learning activities using the positive youth development model.

"next steps" transitional housing for young adults: this program provides housing for youth ages 18, 19 and 20 who would otherwise be homeless. Once they turn 18, young people are legally classed as adults, but many 18-year-olds are still in high school, and few are able to be completely self-supporting. This age group is still developing and needs support to transition into adulthood. The youth we serve in our next steps program have little or no support from parents or other family; we provide secure housing for these vulnerable youth while they complete secondary school (or obtain a ged) and prepare for higher education, vocational training, or employment. Our next steps program offers: housing in a dorm/apartment-style setting; financial support for education, counseling, health care, and transportation; case management emphasizing the skills, resources, and community connections needed to live independently; skills training on topics such as relationships, health/fitness, communication, budgeting/savings, drugs and alcohol, and meal planning; and coaching to help find and maintain quality employment. Last year 10 youth stayed at our "next steps" houses, for a total of 1,409 nights.