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 facility, New Arcadia, will house 15 young adults and provide emergency shelter for 12 more, the YMCA said in a news release. 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 more than four decades, Nexus Youth and Families has been a 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.