Transitional Housing for People in Recovery From the YMCA of Reading
The YMCA of Reading & Berks County runs several transitional living programs for people who are homeless, most of them tied to recovery from substance use. Each program provides case management in an effort to address the root causes of homelessness, and participants learn living skills, budgeting and employment skills as they work towards self-sufficiency.
The eligibility criteria are: - Homeless or sleeping in an environment not suitable for occupancy. - Drug and alcohol free for at least five consecutive days. - Interested in achieving financial self-sufficiency. - Motivated to remain clean and sober. - Committed to setting goals and working to achieve them. - Able to participate in outpatient counseling.
The programs serve different groups:
- The Men's Bridge House and the Women's Bridge House provide transitional housing and support for men and for women who are homeless with substance use disorders and who want to work toward becoming self-sufficient, independent, substance free and employed.
- Camp Joy, at 1120 Berks Road Leesport, Pa 19533, is a newly remodeled twenty bed facility for men with substance use disorder who are also involved in the Berks County criminal justice system.
- Dual Diagnosis/Twin Peaks is supportive housing for homeless men with substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health. Applicants must be stabilized on their medications and able to abide by program guidelines.
- Hacia Adelante supports men and women with substance use disorders and was created to support the Spanish speaking community of Berks County. Participants also take ESL classes. The contact for this program is Leisha Gonzalez Colon at 610 378-4760.
- Women's Bridge House w/Children, called Y Haven, is for single mothers with up to 2 children no older than 11 who are homeless with a substance use disorder. It is set up as a group home providing support and education to mothers, and the maximum length of stay is 2 years. The contact is Siramad Nieves at 610-378-4725.
To apply, fill out the housing application online at form.jotform.com/211434377093051, or use the PDF version of the housing application and return the completed application to 631 Washington Street, Reading, PA 19601. The Men's Bridge House, Dual Diagnosis/Twin Peaks and Y Haven also list registration online or at the front desk; the Women's Bridge House, Camp Joy and Hacia Adelante list registration at the front desk. Every program except Camp Joy is listed under the Reading branch, and the page does not give a street address for the Reading branch housing.
The page does not say what rent or program costs are; the registration listings for these programs show $0.00 for both members and non-members, so ask about any other cost when you apply. It also does not give office hours, what documents to bring, or whether beds are open right now.
These programs are collaborative projects of the County of Berks, City of Reading, Department of Public Welfare, Council on Chemical Abuse, Service Access Management, Inc., Housing and Urban Development, Federal Home Loan Bank, and Berks County Probation Department. The Bridge Houses and SAFE Houses are funded, in part, through the Pennsylvania Department of Health, County of Berks and the Single County Authority. For general questions, the YMCA of Reading & Berks County headquarters number is (610) 378-4700.
Source: rbco.recliquecore.com/programs/104/housing, read September 18, 2026.
The details
In YMCA of Reading & Berks County’s words
Homelessness affects people of all ages, races, genders, and ethnicities, and has a variety of causes, including chemical dependency, unemployment, and domestic abuse. For this reason, the YMCA of Reading and Berks County has a number of transitional living programs which serve a variety of populations. Each program provides case management in an effort to address the root causes of homelessness. Program participants learn living skills, budgeting and employment skills as they work towards…
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YMCA of Reading & Berks County
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This listing summarizes publicly available information from rbco.recliquecore.com/programs/104/housing. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.