Housing Justice

YWCA Madison is committed to housing justice by providing a range of residential and community programs for individuals and families impacted by houselessness, housing instability, and unfair systemic housing practices. We believe that secure housing is a human right and an essential foundation for health, dignity, and fulfillment.

Through our Housing Justice programs, we provide holistic support for community members, such as shelter, case management, family advocacy, tenant education, rental assistance, and community engagement.

Residential Housing Programs

Single Women’s Housing, Third Street, & Family Shelter

Community Housing Programs

Family Housing Stability, Steps to Stability, & Rapid Rehousing

Housing Support Programs

Youth Program

Children and youth are beloved members of the YWCA Madison community, each with unique and important developmental needs. Our Youth Program provides developmentally appropriate social and recreational activities for children and youth who are participants in YWCA Madison’s Housing Programs.

With over 17 years of experience in early childhood education and credentials in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, our Family Resource Coordinator plays a vital role in helping families secure quality childcare, offering early childhood development education to caretakers, facilitating short-term childcare assistance, conducting informal assessments for families concerned about special needs, and coordinating special celebrations such as birthdays, Halloween, and the holidays.

The breadth and richness of our Youth Programming are made possible through collaboration with generous community partners who help us nurture imagination, creativity, and joy through play and learning. We are deeply grateful to our wonderful partners at the Madison Children’s Museum, MMSD Play & Learn, Cake 4 Kids, Tenny Preschool & Childcare, Creative Learning, and many others for helping us make childhood magic possible at YWCA Madison.

Resident Leadership Development Program

The Resident Leadership Development Program is a long-time dream for our Residential Housing Justice Programs at the Downtown Residence and we are excited to announce that we have launched the first pilot in the Summer of 2025!

This program supports a community of 15 resident leaders in a collaborative process to nurture and steward the Downtown Residence community.

In this first pilot, YWCA Madison is partnering with Ubuntu Research & Evaluation to lead a needs assessment with peers at the Downtown Residence that will be used as a guide to develop trauma-informed and healing-centered care practices. In this pilot, resident leaders are also being supported on a collective journey, integrating frames and practices that support deep listening, racial justice learning, and transformative leadership.

HIRE Housing

HIRE Housing is part of the HIRE Initiative which supports adults to find jobs, and help businesses find talent. HIRE also helps people get their GED and learn new skills. The initiative is composed of several local non-profit agencies which include: Centro Hispano, Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Literacy Network, JustDane (formerly known as Madison Urban Ministry/MUM), Urban League of Greater Madison, and YWCA Madison.

YWCA Madison provides support to HIRE participants who are in need of housing or assistance to maintain and/or stabilize their housing.

Our HIRE Case Manager (Skyler Van De Weerd - svandeweerd@ywcamadison.org) works with individuals referred for housing assistance. Assistance can include money to move into housing and/or avoid eviction and utilities disconnection, housing search assistance, and advocacy.

Referrals are only accepted from HIRE partner agencies (listed above).

Meet the Housing Justice Team

Meet the Housing Justice Team

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Downtown Residence
101 E Mifflin Street
Suite 100
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 257-1436

Empowerment Center
2040 South Park Street
Madison, WI 53713
(608) 257-1436 Ext.3

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YWCA Madison is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

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