The YWCA offers emergency shelter, transitional housing and affordable permanent housing in Snohomish County. These programs are based on a service-enriched model of support. Food, furniture, clothing, school supplies, working women’s wardrobe, intensive home-based case management, mental health counseling, a legal clinic, employment readiness and retention, support groups, parenting, nutrition and domestic violence awareness classes are provided to all families in our shelter and housing programs. For more information on the following programs, call (425) 774-9843.

Emergency Housing
Emergency shelter is provided to homeless single parents at the Homeward Bound Shelter in Lynnwood and through our county-wide motel voucher program. Single parent families who are income eligible and homeless can stay 30-90 days.

Transitional Housing
The YWCA provides transitional housing to homeless single mothers with children at our 13-unit Homeward Bound Shelter and at 35 off-site transitional housing units throughout Snohomish County. Residents are asked to pay 30 percent of their income toward housing costs every month, which enables families to establish positive rental history. The following offers a brief look into our various transitional housing programs:

• Pathways for Women YWCA
  The Homeward Bound Shelter in Lynnwood houses many Pathways for Women YWCA programs including shelter, transitional housing, classes, counseling and the South County Legal Clinic. The Homeward Bound Shelter includes five units of permanent, low-cost housing for single mothers and children.
• Edmonds Highlands (for single moms)
  With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Snohomish County Housing Authority, the YWCA opened 12 units of transitional housing in Edmonds in 2001. This was the first "Sound Families," a Gates Foundation initiative to increase the availability of transitional housing for single mothers with children in the Puget Sound region, project in Snohomish County. Families receive an array of services to make real and lasting changes in their lives.
• Project Reunite
  Project Reunite is a special transitional housing program offered in collaboration with Child Protective Services and the Tree of Life treatment program. It helps chemically dependent, homeless mothers reunite with children who have been temporarily removed from their custody.
• Trinity Place Apartments
  Made possible by a partnership with Rick and Anne Steves, Trinity Place offers transitional housing to YWCA clients in 24 apartments in Lynnwood. The YWCA provides comprehensive and coordinated support services to help families achieve self-sufficiency including: ongoing, intensive family advocacy, individual and family counseling, parenting and financial management classes.

Permanent Housing

On June 29, 2007, the YWCA closed on the acquisition of three properties in Snohomish County, wrapping up the largest affordable housing purchase in the County’s history. The deal includes three apartment complexes in Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and south Everett and preserves 220 units of affordable housing for low-income working families.

• Victorian Woods, Mountlake Terrace - 66 apartments
• Somerset Village, Lynnwood - 64 apartments
• Wear To Live, south Everett - 90 apartments

Homelessness Prevention
We provide financial assistance for rent and utilities to low-income residents of Snohomish County. Case management is provided with a focus on increasing money management skills and accessing mainstream community resources.