Overview

The University District Youth Center (UDYC) collective is an engagement hub that utilizes a wrap-around model of care to support young people experiencing homelessness. The collective houses multiple different University District organizations providing services out of one building, including a breakfast program, laundry and showers, and case management, among many others. The goal of the collective is to cover 24 hours of care each day, allowing clients to move between services without needing to travel great distances. Currently, the UDYC Collective has one day of the week completely covered by partner organizations, which is a tremendous first step toward offering 24/7, continuous services.

History

The UDYC space was originally run by Catholic Community Services of Western Washington from 1988 to 2016, and later by YouthCare from 2016 to 2024. From its inception, the UDYC has delivered multifaceted, critical support to young people experiencing homelessness. In September 2024, YouthCare exited the partnership, and the Doorway Project entered UDYC to serve as interim site manager the following month.

Most recently, Street Youth Ministries (SYM) began managing the UDYC on July 1, 2025. At the present time, five organizations are co-located at the UDYC, each providing essential services of their own.

Seema Clifasefi, the project director of the Doorway Project, emphasized, “What we’re trying to do is bring more wraparound services to one place. We don’t have enough infrastructure to get even one person through the entire system, but bringing these partners together in one space helps us move in the right direction.”

Thanks to the partnership and shared mission of UDYC’s partner organizations, the UDYC has been able to remain open over the years, continually providing services to young people experiencing homelessness.