Youth Emergency Services (YES) has announced the establishment of a new, permanent housing space at 2566 Farnam Street, marking the relaunch of its capital campaign with an updated message: Welcome Home.

The new space on Farnam Street—to be called the YES House, a name long used by generations of youth, staff, and community members— will create a centralized location for housing and supportive services, expanding capacity and improving access to care as the demand for youth homelessness services continues to rise in Omaha. Once fully activated, the YES House will bring the organization’s housing programs, case management, and core supports together under one roof to create a more connected, responsive, and welcoming experience for young people.

“At the heart of our work, YES believes that every young person deserves a safe place to land and the support to move forward,” said Kalisha Reed, Executive Director of Youth Emergency Services. “The YES House brings that vision to life in a way that’s more connected, more responsive, and more impactful for the youth we serve.”

At full capacity, the YES House will include 24 apartments with 32 beds, offering young people safe places to land for the short- and medium term. In addition to housing, the YES House will offer increased access to food, a clothing boutique, onsite mental health and nursing services, and stronger connections to community partners, ensuring youth can find the care, resources, and support they need in one place—right when they need it.

The property also already houses YES administrative offices, minimizing transition costs and allowing the organization to begin utilizing the building immediately. It also includes two commercial sites with existing residential leases, which will be honored through their full term before the spaces transition to support YES programs. YES anticipates housing all staff and core services at the YES House by Fall 2027.

In the past six months, YES has served more than 1,020 unduplicated youth, surpassing last year’s 12 month total. This increase reflects both the growing community need and strengthened partnerships that have extended access to food, mental health care, and crisis services. Even with this expanded reach, limited housing capacity has required YES to turn youth away, underscoring the urgency of creating integrated spaces where young people can access support without barriers.

YES currently operates across seven active locations throughout Omaha. While this distributed model has allowed the organization to meet youth where they are, navigating multiple sites can create barriers during moments of crisis. The YES House will bring housing and services together in one permanent location, increasing efficiency and creating a more seamless, youth-centered approach.

Earlier in the campaign, YES explored new construction as part of a development in Midtown Omaha. As costs increased, the organization made the strategic decision to pursue a move-in-ready site—allowing for faster impact, the responsible stewardship of resources, and the ability to activate services in real time.

“This next chapter is about activating what’s right in front of us,” Reed added. “Even as the approach evolved, our purpose never changed. The YES House allows us to move forward with clarity and urgency, creating a place where youth can feel safe, supported, and build a path toward self-sufficiency.”

For more than five decades, YES has provided safety, stability, and opportunity to young people experiencing homelessness. The YES House represents an exciting next chapter for the organization: creating a permanent home for YES’ work and a welcoming place where youth can take their next steps forward.

For more information, please visit yesomaha.org.