Providing Housing Options and Creating Community for More Than a Century

The global YMCA movement was founded to be a safe and affordable housing option for men moving from rural to urban areas. Since 1885, the YMCA in Evanston has provided rooms and beds for hotel, short-term and eventually long-term Single Room Occupancy (SRO) dormitory design housing with wrap-around services.

The McGaw YMCA’s Men’s Residence program at 1000 Grove Street has helped transform the lives of hundreds of men-identified people each year by providing safe bridge housing with case management and referral services that address job searching, aging, social security, chronic illness, and maintaining physical and mental health. Residents work together alongside staff to create a deep sense of community as they build a path towards personal stability. The McGaw Y Men’s Residence remains the largest provider of safe, affordable and accessible bridge housing for men age 18 and older in Evanston and one of the few remaining single room occupancy options in the Chicago area.

Built in 1930, the McGaw Y Men’s Residence is scheduled for a long overdue transformation. The residence space in our historic 1000 Grove Street building will be renovated to provide comfortable, functional, safe and modern living spaces that speak to each resident’s dignity and privacy. The transformation will include a new lobby for our resident men along with additional program areas and shared community spaces where residents can come together, connect, and unwind. Equity and public health, with an emphasis on safety and improved quality of life, are driving this project.