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Nicole Hayden Public Service Journalism Team

Alert Watchdog

More Oregon students struggle with homelessness than most states. Is the safety net at risk?

Nicole Hayden Public Service Journalism Team
Jun 9, 2026
11 hrs ago
0
11 min to read

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At home, Jazz was mostly alone.

Youthhomelessphoto2 — A public school bus diverted its route each day to pick up Jazz at one of two motels she stayed at during her senior year of high school last year.
Nicole Hayden

Youthhomelessphoto4 — The first motel in which Jazz found shelter had doors that opened directly into the parking lot instead of tucked within the safety of a hotel. As a teenager living alone for the first time, not having an extra layer of hotel check-in desk security between her and the outside world made her nervous.
Nicole Hayden

Youthhomelessphoto3 — After a school counselor learned that Jazz’s home was not safe, she was provided a motel room through the Maslow Project, a Southern Oregon nonprofit that serves homeless youth.
Nicole Hayden

Youthhomelessphoto7 — Jazz, 18, was a senior at Hidden Valley High School in Grants Pass last year when she began experiencing homelessness. Despite her challenging home life, she was determined to break her family cycle. Her father, grandfather and great-grandfather never graduated from high school. She would be the first.
Nicole Hayden

Youthhomelessphoto5 — Jazz, 18, was a senior at Hidden Valley High School in Grants Pass last year when her world was turned upside down. When the Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism team spoke to her, she was focused on finishing school, applying for summer retail jobs at the local mall and making plans to go to college.
Nicole Hayden