Teen Talk: Helping families experiencing housing insecurity

High school senior Maddy Bryant is deeply committed to helping others and making a difference in her community. Maddy is on a mission to make residents who live at the YWCA’s Somerset Village in Lynnwood feel supported and comfortable.

Somerset Village offers permanent affordable housing to low-income families.

Despite a demanding academic schedule, numerous extracurriculars and an active social life, Maddy prioritizes giving back to the community. She is passionate about making sure that Somerset Village families have access to affordable housing, and that children grow up in a supportive and nurturing environment.

The list of what Maddy does at Somerset is wide ranging and hands-on. In short, it’s whatever needs to be done. On any given day, she may be picking up toys and books that are still in good condition directly from the homes of generous donors, playing with children at the community center, leading art projects, organizing the library section or cleaning up.

Countless articles and editorials have been written about the cost of living in Western Washington. There are also plenty of online tools providing data. For example, a living wage calculator was originally developed by a professor of economic geography and regional planning at MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP). This tool allows the user to add a county to the calculator and come up with the cost needed depending on the number of adults and the number of children in a household. No surprise that the living wage needed to support a family in Snohomish County,  as sourced from the Living Wage Institute, is high and people are struggling to survive, let alone thrive.

Locally, Snohomish County released a 2025 Point-in-Time Count of Homelessness showing that on the night of Jan. 22, 2025 there were “1,140 people in 890 households residing in shelter, transitional housing or living without shelter in Snohomish County”.

Poverty and the cost of living are complex issues to solve. Sometimes complexity can paralyze progress because it feels overwhelming. However, as one part of the solution, nonprofits are trying to help people who experience housing insecurity. According to the YWCA website, Somerset provides 64 units of permanent, affordable housing, with additional support services available for residents, including health care access and job training. The three- and four-bedroom permanent apartments are for households earning 60% and below the area’s median income. “The goal is to help families get on their feet financially, breaking the cycle of poverty,” the website says.

Maddy is looking beyond just housing and directly supports the children who are experiencing housing insecurity. She serves as a role model and friend for kids of all ages. She first got involved with YWCA when she was much younger, visiting with her mom to participate in facility cleanups along with many other tasks. Maddy said she felt a calling to help others.

 “I decided for myself that I wanted to do more to help our community,” she said, adding that “volunteering helps me to realize that the world is bigger than just myself.” Reflecting further on her experience with the children, she said: “The time spent with them is so fulfilling and allows me to see beyond my own struggles, which deepens my empathy.”

It’s easy for people to lose touch and take everyday things for granted. People often forget that not everybody is lucky enough to have basic needs, such as stable housing. Maddy believes that instead of placing blame and shame, it’s more productive to educate ourselves about what the problems are and then do our part to make things better.

In addition to giving her time, Maddy has personally donated books and a doll house that she played with as a little girl and loves seeing them be enjoyed by other kids. She would welcome donations of additional gently used books and toys. And of course, there is always a constant need for additional volunteer help.

If you would like to donate, please email mdillon@ywcaworks.org.

Amelie LaPorte-Manahan is grateful to live in Edmonds. She is a sophomore at Seattle Prep High School where she is a part of the journalism club and Black Student Union. Amelie also plays varsity basketball and softball.