Oregon Public Broadcasting

The number of homeless families in Oregon has increased in the last year.

That's according to data from a one night count of the homeless organized by Oregon Housing and Community Services. Amelia Templeton reports.

The state agency just released the results of its one night count in January. 

Thousands of volunteers tallied the number of people sleeping in shelters and camps, and using services for the homeless. 

That night nearly 20,000 people were recorded as homeless.

That's 2,000 more than the state counted last year. And the homeless were young. One in five was 11 years old or younger. One in three was under 18. 

Lisa Joyce is with Oregon Housing and Community Services. She says this year's tally almost certainly underestimates the problem. That's because there wasn't a street count in the Portland area this year.

Lisa Joyce: "The fact that it increased was really shocking to us and to see where that increase was, among families with children, and outside the Portland area, I mean it's everywhere."

Joyce says the state will provide services to 2,000 fewer homeless people next year due to the 9 percent across the board state budget cut.

Web extras:

Think Out Loud: Homeless FamiliesHard Times: A Family Escapes Homelessness