ENTERPRISE — The subject of homelessness was on the minds of representatives of public agencies and private concerns who gathered Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Community Connection of Wallowa County, Enterprise, for an open house on the topic.

About six individuals who identified as unhoused came in seeking help and filled out survey forms offered, said Taylor Harshfield, a self-sufficiency coordinator for Community Connection. She also said they have reports from the county’s three school districts of numerous youths who qualify as homeless.

Ron McAfee, Wallowa County manager for Community Connection, agreed.

“We know of at least a couple of dozen youths who are homeless,” he said.

The survey forms helped the agency officials get an idea of the circumstances homeless people are experiencing such as the type of accommodations they now have, such as a tent, makeshift shelter or the type of vehicle they are living in or otherwise using; the applicant’s gender, age and race; if they’ve been homeless before; and how long they’ve been homeless.

The survey also asked about “disabling conditions” such as substance abuse, chronic health conditions, mental health disorders and physical or mental disabilities.

Those completing the survey also were asked if they are veterans and whether they are fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.

Representatives were at a variety of tables set up for agencies including Community Connection, Northeast Oregon Network, Safe Harbors, Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness, Northeast Oregon Housing Authority, Building Healthy Families, Winding Waters Clinics, Department of Human Services, Oregon Health Plan and Viridian Property Management.

Churches, too, are trying to address the homeless problem. Katy Nesbitt, priest at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Enterprise and also the county’s director of natural resources and economic development, was there along with one of her parishioners, Jane Dunn, who volunteers at Community Connection. They talked with McAfee about what their church — and others — can do to help the unhoused.

“I’m in contact with other ministers,” she told McAfee.

But, he said, churches need to make sure they’re not biting off more than they can chew.

“First, you have to identify what you’re willing and able to do” to help the homeless, he said. “Of course, we all can support each other.”

McAfee and Harshfield said there really isn’t a good estimate on how widespread homelessness is in Wallowa County.

“It’s probably a bigger problem than we know,” McAfee said. “We do what we can now before it becomes a bigger problem like Portland has.”

Even in Wallowa, in meeting with people at the senior center there, he was told of six to eight people in that town of about 800 who are homeless.

He said Wallowa County’s homeless population is probably comparable to Portland’s on a per-capita basis.

McAfee said he’s concerned that the state government in Salem is, like with most issues, more concerned about the populous west side than rural Eastern Oregon.

He mentioned executive orders recently signed by the new governor, Tina Kotek, several of which dealt with homelessness.

“But the new executive orders don’t speak to Northeast Oregon,” he said.