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Your child’s classmate in third-period science. The college student ringing up your order at a fast-food counter. The quiet young person charging their phone in the back of your favorite coffee shop. They blend into the background — classmates, coworkers, neighbors, friends. But look closer and you’ll see that many young people in Washington County are carrying the burden of homelessness and housing insecurity. It’s a struggle hidden in plain sight. “People don’t really see youth homelessness in our community because it looks different in the suburbs,” observes Andrea Logan Sanders, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Aid. “On any given night there are more than 200 young people experiencing homelessness in Washington County, and people don’t notice because they’re not who you’d stereotypically think of as ‘homeless kids.’” There are as many reasons youth become homeless as there are young people experiencing it. They may be fleeing a dangerous situation, forced out because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, or left without options when foster care ends. But no matter the circumstance, one thing is certain: homelessness isn’t a choice. “Homeless kids aren’t lazy or bad,” says Kenz Schrenk, program coordinator at Safe Place. “They’re caught in cycles of hardship that are nearly impossible to escape without support.” And while homelessness may not be as visible in Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Sherwood as it is in downtown Portland, its dangers are just as real. “The fact of the matter is that homeless kids become homeless adults,” says Ryan McCauley, Director of Shelter Services at Boys & Girls Aid. “Without intervention, their risk of being victimized, trafficked, or pulled into substance use skyrockets.”

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