Ending Youth Homelessness

Homeless Youth Employment Services

Employment services are essential for homeless youth who have to support themselves and maintain stable housing.

The Working Zone, a YWCA program, provides employment training services to homeless young people by offering three-month paid internships. It is part of Pro Youth, a partnership of the City of Seattle and six local social service agencies operating throughout King County.

Each year more than 100 homeless youth between the ages of 15 and 22 enroll at one of the three Working Zone job sites in the University District, downtown Seattle and Marra Farm in South Park. At these sites, youth gain employment skills including professional behavior, work ethics, job search and retention, writing, and customer service.

This Working Zone homeless youth employment program, started in 1994, is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development McKinney Act, and by City of Seattle General Funds. In 2008, approximately $94,500 in local funding leveraged an additional $315,000 in federal funds for the Working Zone.

Information

For more information about Seattle Human Services Department-funded youth programs, call 206-386-1026 or e-mail youthservices@seattle.gov.

For information about The Working Zone, call the program at 206-633-7901. For information about related programs, call the 211 Community Information Line by dialing 211 or 1-800-621-4636.