Next Step Housing Walnut Street Coed Recovery Home

About this Recovery Home

Next Step Housing - Walnut Street is a coed sober living residence in Yakima, Washington, in Yakima County, part of the alcohol and drug-free housing network the nonprofit has run in the Yakima Valley since 1991.

A Sober House on West Walnut Street

West Walnut Street runs through a residential section of central Yakima, within a short drive of downtown services and the retail employers along the main commercial strips. It is a practical address for a resident balancing a job search with early recovery.

Testing Behind the Drug-Free Policy

Next Step Housing enforces its alcohol and drug-free standard with monthly drug and breathalyzer testing, not a written agreement alone. Everyone sharing this residence lives under the same policy, which is what makes the coed arrangement work in practice.

Part of a Yakima Valley-Wide Housing Portfolio

This address is one of more than two hundred units the nonprofit manages across the valley, housing people in recovery alongside people exiting homelessness and people with developmental disabilities. A resident here is connected to an organization large enough to offer other unit sizes if a household's situation changes.

Central Yakima and Yakima County

Yakima is the seat of Yakima County, and a central address like this one keeps residents close to the courts, outpatient providers and employers that most people rely on in their first months of sober housing.

Reaching Next Step Housing

Applications for this address go through Next Step Housing, which can confirm current availability and the testing schedule for the household.

About Next Step Sober Living Housing- Sommerset Apartments, Yakima, Washington 5 studios, 20 ones and 20 two-bedrooms Single adults with established sobriety Small families with established sobriety  Housing / Awards In 2015, Next Step Housing's (NSH) Pear Tree Place Apartments received the National Community of Quality Award for Exemplary Development for People with Special Needs from the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA); Also in 2015, Keith Erickson, Maintenance Co-Superintendent, received the Maintenance Person of the Year Award from the Affordable Housing Management Association of Washington (AHMA-WA); In 2013, Michael Ryckman, Maintenance Co-Superintendent, received the 2013 Success Story of the Year Award from AHMA-WA. This was the first award of its kind inspired by Mr. Ryckman's career with NSH; In 2011, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance presented NSH with the 2011 Movement Building Award for exemplary affordable housing advocacy; In 2008, Diana McClaskey, NSH's Deputy Director, received the Community Hero Award for homeless advocacy services from the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless; Also in 2008, Connie Cleary, NSH's Asset Manager, received the Site Manager of the Year Award from AHMA-WA; Again that year, AHMA-WA also presented John Mifsud, NSH's Executive Director, with their 2008 Pioneer in Affordable Housing Award; In 2007, NSH was awarded the Washington State Housing Finance Commission Friend of Housing Award; In 2004, the NAHMA honored the Sommerset Apartments and NSH with the National Community of Quality Award for Outstanding Turnaround of a Troubled Property; In 1997, NSH won the National Tax Credit Housing Coalition Award for Excellence STAFF John Mifsud (since June 1995) Executive Director Mr. Mifsud is celebrating 22 years as Executive Director of NSH. He has over 40 years of program design, implementation and management experience as well as 35 years of experience in property management and development in the private, non-profit and public sectors. A long-term housing advocate for people with special needs, Mr. Mifsud developed the first affordable, independent clean and sober housing units for families with children in the State of Washington. Mr. Mifsud has managed portfolios of 800+ units in four states including commercial properties and tax credit developments. A Certified Families for Self-Sufficiency Specialist, Mr. Mifsud also designed and supervised on-site case management services for a diversity of special needs populations in Washington. Currently, Mr. Mifsud manages all staff as well as finances, fundraising, land acquisition, new developments and major capital improvements for NSH. Connie Cleary (since January 2005) Asset Manager Sommerset Apartments Ms. Cleary achieved sobriety in 2003 and began working for NSH as a Housekeeper. She was promoted to Resident Manager in 2006. Ms. Cleary is a veteran with certified training in customer service. Connie became the NSH Asset Manager in 2007. Ms. Cleary has managed two comprehensive capital renovations at both the Clean House and the Lamplighter Apartments. She managed all on-site maintenance staff as well as subcontractors and inspections. She is currently the Resident Manager of the Sommerset Apartments as also acts as the On-Site Case Manager for 11 homeless/disabled units. She has dedicated her life to NSH and the people who benefit from the agency's supportive housing. Keith Erickson (since January 2010) Maintenance Superintendent Mr. Erickson shares the title of NSH Maintenance Superintendent with Mike Ryckman. Keith became sober in 2007 and has been working with NSH since 2010. He is active in the Yakima Narcotics Anonymous community. Keith says, “Working with people in recovery is really a dream come true for me. I love that I am on staff at Next Step. Being of service to my community helps keeps me clean and sober.” Rigoberto Dominguez (since April 2013) Case Manager Mr. Dominguez originally came to NSH as a resident in 2010. In 2012, he began working for NSH as a People 4 People intern through their Parents Work First Program. He was hired as a Case Manager to work with homeless veterans at Pear Tree Place III in 2013. He received his Associates of Applied Science in Chemical Dependency Counseling from Yakima Valley Community College in 2012 and completed his Bachelor of Science in Religion in 2012. Mr. Dominguez is bilingual and bicultural and also works for Yakima Memorial Hospital as a Chaplin focused on hospice and end of life care services. He sits on the hospital's Ethics Committee and Critical Incidents Team and is curren Josh Shay (since January 2019) Maintenance Specialist Mr. Shay joined the NSH Maintenance Team after working as the Yakima Superior Court Community Service Supervisor. He worked with a range of Drug Court clients who helped the elderly with yard work and painted over graffiti throughout the City. More recently, he was also the Yakima County Juvenile Justice Restorative Community Service Leader where he coordinated young people doing community service at the Union Gospel Mission kitchen as well as cleaning up Yakima parks, lakes and streams.