Residential Housing

Sitting high on the Capitol Square skyline in the heart of Madison is our 12-story historic Downtown Residence, home to our three Residential Housing Justice Programs: Third Sreet, Housing for Single Women, and Family Shelter. YWCA Madison is proud to be the largest provider of affordable housing to women in Dane County, with 250 women, families, and children calling it home each year.

Third Street

Third Street is a housing program for single mothers with one or two children, birth to 5-years old. The program offers 18 one or two bedroom apartments; 8 of which are subsidized through a partnership with CDA to offer Project-Based Housing Vouchers (Section 8 Vouchers). Third Street allows women opportunities to pursue their goals and build a positive housing history. Program staff help to nurture residents by providing case management, programming, and advocacy. They also assist with the program application and intake processes and operations.

Third Street is ACCEPTING applications at this time.

Please Note: Unit availability is limited and changes regularly as residents transition in and out of our program. As a result, we are unable to guarantee unit availability or provide estimated move-in dates.

Interested applicants are encouraged submit a Third Street application below. Our Residential Housing team will contact eligible applicants as units become available and provide updates throughout the process.

Third Street single moms with one or two children, from birth to four years old, or women in their last trimester of pregnancy.
- Follow the community rules established by participants in the program.
- Meet regularly with Program Staff to review progress and set personal goals.
- Take part in regular apartment inspections.
- Participate in occasional outings and community events.
- Share responsibility for cleaning and maintaining common areas on a rotating schedule.
- Engage in community programming such as school, employment, training, therapy, treatment, or volunteer activities.
1-bedroom apartments: $505/month
2-bedroom apartments: $620/month
Individuals interested in Third Street can self-refer by calling the Third Street Coordinator at 608-257-1436, option 2 and filling out the application below.

Third Street Application

Housing for Single Women

Housing for Single Women provides permanent housing options to single women without children. Apartments (81 in total) range in size from single room occupancy (SRO) to one-bedroom units and are all furnished. Case management is not provided to residents. However, they are supported by the Singles Housing Coordinator to maintain housing and access community resources. Applications for housing are accepted when there are vacancies or expected vacancies. Once an application is complete and submitted, applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview to be screened for eligibility.

Housing for Single Women is NOT taking applications at this time.

Individuals who are eligible for this program are single adult women.
Individuals cannot earn more than 60% of the County Median Family income (CMI) for single women. Applicabts cannot be enrolled as a full-time student and must be at least 18 years old.
Because of YWCA Madison’s low-income housing status, we are required by the federal government to complete an income certification for all residents prior to moving in, and each year that a lease is renewed. To establish low-income status, applicants must bring proof of income, such as check stubs, letters of benefits, etc.
Rent ranges from $470-$885, depending on the type of unit rented. A security deposit of one month’s rent is required.
- Private Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units with shared kitchens and lounges
- Cozy one-bedroom apartments
YWCA Madison Single Women's Housing is accepting applications for a limited time, beginning now. Applications will be accepted by fax (608-257-1439), email (jhecht@ywcamadison.org), and can be picked up and returned to the front desk (101 E. Mifflin St.) until Sunday, January 4th. Applications will be evaluated for completeness starting Monday, January 5th, and application interviews will begin scheduling around mid-January for complete applications.
Applications will no longer be accepted starting January 5th. They may open again if vacancies are not filled by this wave of applicants.
—
Housing applications will be processed after you submit a complete application, meet with YWCA staff for an application interview, and complete an income certification. YWCA staff process applications in the order they are received.
To confirm your application has been received you can call (608) 257-1436 option 2. Please note that it can take 2-3 months from submitting an application to be approved for housing.
At the meeting with YWCA Staff, applicants learn more about our housing and begin the process of having their application reviewed. We screen 2 years of housing history, professional references, and criminal background. In addition, we must complete the Section 42 paperwork with applicants. This is to verify income and assets.

Housing for Single Women's Application

Family Shelter

Family Shelter provides temporary housing (90-180 day) to families with minor children who are experiencing homelessness. The program offers 12 private shelter rooms and a shared kitchen. Families are supported by the Shelter Case Manager who helps them access community resources, search for and access housing to prevent future episodes of homelessness.

Please Note: YWCA does NOT take direct referrals for Family Shelter but partners with The Salvation Army and additional local family shelter & family shelter related programs to receive referrals.

Individuals with minors (under 18) are eligible to stay in the family shelter. Additional assessments and qualifications will be screened for.
Families cannot apply directly to YWCA Madison for shelter.
Please call The Salvation Army at (608) 250-2298 to access emergency family shelter. The Salvation Army serves as the point of entry for families seeking shelter. Their staff will assess the family’s need and place them on a priority list for shelter. Families are placed at YWCA Madison when rooms become available.
This Agency receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and/or a federal, state or local public or private entity to provide services for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
In order to receive this funding, this agency must participate in the Wisconsin Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), which is administered by the Institute for Community Alliances. This system collects basic information about clients receiving services from this agency in order to get an accurate count of individuals and families who are homeless and to identify the need to provide different services.
This agency will collect and share only the information that we consider to be appropriate. The collection and use of all personal information are guided by strict standards of confidentiality. A copy of our Privacy Notice describing our privacy practices is available to all consumers upon request.
Your information will be shared with other area agencies that participate in HMIS unless you request that your information remain closed (confidential). Keeping your information closed means that your information will only be available to caseworkers and intake workers within this agency. If you are interested in keeping your records closed, please talk to a case manager or intake worker.
Public Notice (Federal Register/Vol. 69, No. 146) | Effective August 30, 2004

Shelter Code of Conduct

Termination Policy

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. Resident leaders and staff are also being supported on a collective journey, integrating frames and practices that support deep listening, racial justice learning, and transformative leadership.