YMCA and Nexus Youth and Families Join Forces to Open New Housing for Homeless Youth in Auburn

AUBURN, Wash., April 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The YMCA of Greater Seattle's Accelerator branch and Nexus Youth and Families have partnered to build a new facility in Auburn that addresses youth and young adult homelessness. The announcement comes in the wake of an ever-growing discussion on homelessness, and expands the reach of services in the South King County area.

The new facility, named New Arcadia, will house 15 young adults and provide emergency shelter for 12 more. The housing portion will include storage space and common areas, a community kitchen, office and conference spaces, and a drop-in center during the day.

The Nexus Youth and Families Board of Directors approached the Accelerator Y, the social services branch of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, about this opportunity due to the Y's excellent reputation, longstanding presence in South King County and mission alignment.

"By partnering to open the New Arcadia, we will be able to leverage the strengths and expertise of both organizations to make, real, impactful change for young people experiencing homelessness in South King County," said Mark Putnam, Executive Director for Accelerator Y.

Accelerator Y is the largest provider of housing for young people in King County. Nearly 40 percent of the people served by Accelerator live in South King County. Their services include housing, education resources, employment opportunities, family support, behavioral health services, youth violence prevention, foster care and Host Homes – a spare room connection program.

"We share a common mission," said Michael Jackson, Interim Executive Director of Nexus Youth and Families. "At our core, we are focused on caring for youth, and in this spirit we wanted to bring in a bigger team to support new efforts."

For over four decades, Nexus Youth and Families has been the leading provider of shelter, housing and behavioral health services to youth and families experiencing homelessness and other trauma in South King County. They operate street outreach, shelters, around-the-clock care, case management and housing for kids and young adults ranging from 12 to 24 years old.

Nexus Youth and Families will be responsible for the oversight and operations of the shelter, and Accelerator Y will be responsible for the oversight and operations of the housing and drop-in center.

Learn more about the YMCA of Greater Seattle's Accelerator branch by visiting https://www.seattleymca.org/accelerator.
Learn more about Nexus Youth and Family by visiting https://www.nexus4kids.org/.

Media inquiries
Mark Putnam
Executive Director
Accelerator YMCA
[email protected]  
206.999.6153

Michael Jackson
Interim Executive Director
Nexus Youth and Families
[email protected] 
253.351.6090

Jeff Rainey
Chief Operating Officer
YMCA of Greater Seattle
[email protected]
206.587.6128

About the YMCA of Greater Seattle
The YMCA of Greater Seattle is the Northwest's leading nonprofit organization strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Founded in 1876, the Y reaches more than 253,000 people of all backgrounds, abilities and financial circumstances annually through 13 branches, two overnight camps and more than 200 program sites throughout King and south Snohomish counties. It nurtures more than 142,000 kids and teens to develop their gifts and give back to our community and engages nearly 23,000 volunteers who contribute more than 372,000 hours of service each year. Visit seattleymca.org.

About Nexus Youth and Families
Nexus Youth and Families is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that offers an array of social services in over 17 communities throughout South King County, including the Muckleshoot Reservation. Nexus offices are located in Auburn, Enumclaw and Maple Valley. For over four decades, Nexus has been the leading provider of shelter, housing and behavioral health services to youth and families experiencing homelessness and other trauma in South King County. Visit nexus4kids.org.     

Contact:
Sarah Sanborn
YMCA of Greater Seattle
206.587.6112
[email protected]

SOURCE YMCA of Greater Seattle