Executive Summary

Jackson Street Youth Services serves youth, ages 10-24, who are homeless, have run away, or are at risk-for being homeless in Oregon’s Linn and Benton counties. What started as a single shelter opened by a concerned group of citizens has grown during 22 years of operation into an important service organization in the area with three youth-centric programs, a wide base of community support, and a vision to end youth homelessness regionally.

Linn and Benton counties are both relatively rural, with population centers in Albany and Corvallis respectively. Youth homelessness is often invisible, especially in rural areas, but it occurs at equal rates in rural and urban areas. Roughly 1 in 20 youth ages 13-24 will experience homelessness over the course of a year. Jackson Street is here to promote safety, stability, and well-being for youth and to show a path to long-term success through building positive relationships and teaching skills for self-sufficiency.

Jackson Street provides intervention and prevention tools for youth, including safe shelter, transitional housing, and street outreach. All programs address physical, mental, and emotional well-being of youth, teach skills needed for independent living, and prioritize family reunification when safe and available. Youth voice is integral to this work and guides Jackson Street’s work through paid listening panels, young adults with lived experience on the Board of Directors, and an active Youth Advisory Board.

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