As students head back-to-school this week, middle and high school teachers are receiving a pencil pouch with a collection of brochures. They give information about resources available to youth and families who are experiencing homelessness. Nationally, 1 in 30 students experience homelessness at some point during the school year. Teachers may become aware of students … Read more
Per school year, 213 students experienced homelessness in rural Polk County on average for the school years 2018-2022. 191 of them experienced homelessness with their families and 19 of them were unaccompanied youth. Click here to view the “Student Homelessness in Rural Polk County” data. These data are gathered and reported by the McKinney-Vento liaisons … Read more
August 22, 2023 – to view the YouTube video, click here.
Church @ the Park received funding to stand up a managed micro community in rural Polk County. They are under contract on a property on Holman Ave in Dallas. The site will be staffed 24x7x365. The existing house will be used to provide on site support to the guests using the shelter. This will include … Read more
Partners Aligned Toward Housing Solutions (PATHS) hosted a table at Krazy Dayz in Dallas on 7/27-29. PATHS partners including Church @ the Park and HOME Youth Services were able to connect with people who stopped by. Many community members took the opportunity to learn more about homelessness in Polk County as well as the proposed … Read more
The Monmouth Independence Skatepark Grand Opening on 7/22/23 included comments by local leaders and a ribbon cutting. It also included a Resource Fair for youth. Punx with a Purpose hosted the entertainment at the event which included a live DJ, a free clothing closet, free lunch, and resource tables. Ten organizations who serve youth, young … Read more
Service providers and community members came together for the “Community Information Summit: Homelessness and Housing Initiatives in Rural Polk County.” This event was hosted on June 21, 2023 at Western Oregon University’s Werner University Center. A panel of service providers shared information about their programs. Meeting Agenda PowerPoint Video (Recorded) After the series of presentations, … Read more
Over 60 people from across rural Polk County gathered on Thursday April 20, 2023 at the Academy Building in Dallas for an update on current local efforts to prevent and end homelessness. We heard about the Emergency Funding from the State and the 2023 Point in Time Count. Then we heard what’s new with the … Read more
The Marion-Polk region has goals to rehouse 158 unsheltered households and to add 79 low-barrier shelter beds, both by 1/10/24. The State provided funding to reach these goals. Various organizations created proposals and applied for the funding. The following projects have been awarded a total of $3.5 million for projects in Polk County: The following … Read more
On 2/16/23, community members attended a Community Information Session at Central High School to learn about the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP). Marion and Polk Counties were awarded a grant in the amount of $3.7 million dollars from HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) to prevent and end youth homelessness. One of the programs that … Read more
