Agenda Packet 2-24-20 Work Session

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February 11, 2020 3 Eugene and Springfield, OR and Springfield report 1,629 homeless youth, includes students who are staying with friends or family. The reported number includes 482 homeless youth who were unaccompanied. Persons with Special Needs who are not Homeless Limited new data exists specific to non-homeless special needs populations in the cities of Eugene and Springfield. There are numerous sub-populations in this community. Of those, there are some that have both sufficient numbers and unique housing and service needs that warrant identification. Those include the following: veterans; children; people exiting incarceration; victims of violence; people living with HIV/AIDS; people living with drug or alcohol addictions; and college-age students. Children and youth aging out of foster care are newly identified special needs population worthy of specific attention. Employment and Economy Economic conditions in Eugene and Springfield have recovered significantly in the past decade, and the region has emerged as a more diversified economy than it was during the Great Recession. The number of jobs has grown steadily during the decade, and unemployment rates have remained relatively low during recent years (below 6%). Wages have risen as well, although the loss of manufacturing jobs still has tempered wage growth in the region. In 2018, unemployment was 4.50%. Employment growth combined with retirements and declining unemployment rates is creating a strengthening economy. As the economy continue to improve, the labor market tightens, new worker availability for employers will create a demand challenge that may be unmet. With declining unemployment and increased demand for skilled workers, youth are competing for career opportunities that will allow them to gain job experience, a situation which is shown to impact their lives long term through lower earnings and less labor market engagement. Unemployment in the region is decreasing but creating a hardship for young unskilled workers. The new workforce of youth 16-24 years old accounts for 38% of the workforce. Getting younger workers to work in meaningful career opportunities will allow the younger workforce to establish the experience and income that first jobs provide, a key workforce challenge facing both cities. The workforce problems facing younger workers today may follow them well into the future through lower lifetime earnings. Housing Units and Tenure Together, Eugene and Springfield contain 97,224 housing units. The majority (61%) of the housing stock is single-family units, with the remainder consisting of multi-family units (33%) and a small share of mobile/manufactured homes (6%). This balance has remained relatively stable since 1990, although planners in both cities anticipate a gradual increase in multi-family housing to accommodate future population needs. For rental households, 41% in Eugene and Springfield live February 24, 2020, Work Session – Item 2CC Agenda - Page 17