FORJournalism (FORJ), a nonprofit dedicated to sustaining access to quality local journalism in Oregon, recently completed its first content sharing journalism lab, Homelessness: Real Stories, Real Solutions, and today launched a community quiz to test community attitudes and learning about homelessness.
Community members across Central Oregon are invited to take the short, anonymous quiz to help evaluate whether perceptions have shifted around homelessness since the beginning of the project. The quiz will be open through Sunday, May 3, 2026.
Click here to take the quiz.
The Homelessness: Real Stories, Real Solutions journalism lab, funded through a $190,000 grant from the Central Oregon Health Council, has sought to dispel myths and stereotypes about homelessness in the region while also identifying solutions available to address it. Over the 18-month project, the FORJ Journalism Lab’s team completed 31 in-depth, multimedia packages telling the personal stories of people experiencing homelessness and community partners devoted to supporting them.
“Throughout our year-and-a-half of researching the data behind homelessness and reporting on real-life stories, we’ve shone a light on solutions that can help our neighbors experiencing homelessness,” said Jody Lawrence-Turner, editor of the Homelessness: Real Stories, Real Solutions project. “Now, we’re hoping to measure how much impact that reporting has changed perceptions. We know we have a compassionate community and are hoping this series spurs empathy and action.”
Near the beginning of the Homelessness: Real Stories, Real Solutions project, the FORJ Lab conducted a pre-test to survey community members’ understanding of homelessness. The pre-test was designed to spark reflection and uncover public misconceptions around the causes and conditions of homelessness.
Pre-test results revealed misunderstandings about homelessness. For instance, two-thirds of respondents mistakenly estimated the leading cause of homelessness as substance use–but this is incorrect. In the 2024 Central Oregon Point in Time Count the two greatest causes of homelessness reported were “Unemployment” and “Couldn’t afford rent.” According to the Point in Time data “Substance use in home” and “Substance use self” were cited as causes only 8.2% and 4.8% of the time, respectively.
Once the new quiz has closed, the results will be compiled and shared out via press release, at local presentations, and online to help our region understand what we’ve learned and also where more education is needed to shift incorrect perceptions of people experiencing homelessness. Results will be released in May.
The Homelessness: Real Stories, Real Solutions journalism lab was led by a seasoned team including Lawrence-Turner, reporter David Dudley, and photographer Joe Kline. A videography team from Central Oregon Daily News contributed video stories on homelessness to the project, and an advisory committee of more than 10 local service providers helped guide the coverage.
FM Civic – an impact strategy and communication design firm based in Bend – supported strategic communications planning and execution, advising, content design, digital distribution, and amplification of the project through a website, newsletters, social media, and partner channels.
Everyone is welcome to take the quiz before Sunday, May 3.
Click here to take the quiz.
About Homelessness: Real Stories, Real Solutions:
This journalism lab exists to raise awareness, educate the public, and provide in-depth reporting on local and national housing challenges, homelessness, and policy solutions. We invite you to join us on a journey of dispelling myths and stereotypes about homelessness so that together we can manifest meaningful change for our neighbors in Central Oregon.
About FORJ:
FORJ was created to stem the tide of the decline of journalism in Oregon by providing tangible resources, training and tools that local publications need to thrive. FORJ is on the leading edge of journalism advocacy in America, providing innovative solutions that work.
About the Central Oregon Health Council:
The Central Oregon Health Council oversees the Regional Health Assessment for the region every five years and devises a Regional Health Improvement Plan to improve the health metrics of the tri-county area. The nonprofit facilitates collaboration and regional planning with area health providers, school districts, housing groups, public transportation, public officials, and community members to build an equitable and integrated health ecosystem.
realstoriesrealsolutions.org • forjournalism.org • cohealthcouncil.org
