Sheltered or unsheltered ‘let’s fix’ youth homelessness
Published 9:03 am Saturday, January 17, 2026
Sunday’s event delves into local issue
By AISLIN TWEEDY
The Astorian
Peace First Lutheran Church ECLA will host a Youth Homelessness in Astoria and Oregon panel from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, at 725 33rd St.
Mike Holmstedt, a member of the church and an Astoria resident, said the event aims to better inform the community and educate residents about what is happening with youth homelessness in Astoria, Clatsop County and across Oregon.
The two-hour event will feature four panelists: Josh Blomquist of Helping Hands, Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly, State Rep. Cyrus Javadi and Clatsop Community Action Homeless Outreach Program Manager Kenny Hansen.
“It’s all about trying to help the less fortunate,” Holmstedt said. “I’ve learned so much communicating with our panelists. … Clatsop County is the first county in the state for the most homeless.”
Holmstedt said there are two classifications of homeless youth: unsheltered and sheltered.
“Unsheltered is a small percentage,” he said. “Sheltered youth are kids couch surfing or living in an apartment with two or three families.”
Holmstedt said the Warrenton School District ranks first in the state for having sheltered youth.
“We don’t want it to come off as criminalizing the homeless,” Kelly said. “But have them obey the laws — our main goal is helping them connect to the services, if they want it.”
“I’m excited to be a part of the panel,” said Kelly. He hopes the community can become more involved and educated about the topic.
Javadi said he hopes the event will bring more clarity.
“Youth homelessness is one of the problems everyone agrees is bad, but we often talk past each other about causes and fixes,” Javadi said. “I want the people doing the work — schools, nonprofits, tribes, local government and state agencies — in the same room, looking at the same problem and asking where kids are slipping through the cracks before they ever show up in a shelter.”
Javadi said Astoria can improve at the local level by strengthening coordination.
“Schools often know when a student is at risk long before anyone else does,” he said. “The faster that information connects to housing stability, mental health care and family support, the better the odds.”
At the state level, Oregon needs fewer silos and hurdles, Javadi said.
“We spend a lot of money, but too much of it is slow, fragmented or aimed downstream. … Preventing youth homelessness is cheaper, more humane and far more effective than trying to fix it after it hardens into adult homelessness.”
