Bridge House Closes Englewood Shelter After One Year
The non-profit will end all operations, citing funding instability, leaving residents to rely on a new resource guide and upcoming council meetings.
By Jillian Foster ·
Bridge House, the non-profit that operated Englewood’s only overnight homeless shelter, will end all operations.
The organization stated that funding instability forced the closure. The Englewood facility, which opened less than two years ago, is the first part of a larger wind-down process.
The closure affects residents and staff immediately. Matthew Carl, a participant in the Ready to Work program, moved into the shelter in August. He lost his job after moving to Colorado and found the facility helpful for securing new employment. However, he received only a few days of notice before the shelter shut its doors.
“All of a sudden they kind of just said, 'You got to find a place to go. We don’t really have a whole lot,'” Carl said. He noted that the organization provided a case manager to help with therapy, medication, and workforce resources. Despite these services, many of his peers were sent out to find alternative housing.
Bridge House is based in Boulder and has served Front Range communities for three decades. The statement explained that the organization attempted a restructure in January. This effort included the departure of its previous CEO and the installation of a new leadership team. The restructure also led to the closure of the Aurora property and the Community Table Kitchen. Staff reductions occurred earlier this year as part of these changes.
The city is now addressing the gap in services. The Englewood, Littleton, and Sheridan city councils will hold a joint study session on Thursday, Nov. 12. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Community Room at the Englewood Civic Center. Officials will discuss the future of the navigation center and next steps to support residents experiencing homelessness.
The Tri-Cities Homeless Initiative collaborates with the City of Englewood to fund these resources. The group stated that Arapahoe County remains committed to strategic partnerships and investment in affordable housing. Data from the 2025 Point-in-Time count showed a drop in the number of people newly experiencing homelessness by 18 percent. Unsheltered homelessness fell by 22 percent during the same period.
Local non-profits are already seeing an increased demand for assistance. Julie Hall, program director for HAAT Force, said her organization saw its highest number of needs last Friday, the day after the closure. HAAT Force provides emergency shelter in partner hotels during severe weather. They typically offer 40 cold weather hotel vouchers and plan to fundraise for more.
Hall said the group provides drop-in resources such as laundry, meals, clothing, and showers on specific days. She emphasized that older adults and people with pets often need different shelter options than those available in hotel rooms. A dependable, full-time overnight shelter would support the other services currently in place.
Bridge House has outlined a timeline for the remaining changes. The Englewood Ready to Work program and Tri-Cities Homeless Navigation Center will close effective mid-November. The Boulder program will close by Dec. 31. The organization is using a transition committee to manage the sale of real estate assets and the placement of participants. Staff are working on individualized transition plans for remaining interns and trainees.
The City of Englewood recently launched a local resource guide to help connect individuals with available services. City leaders encourage people in need to contact 2-1-1 for referrals to health and human services. The guide will be distributed in the area to assist those relying on remaining local options.
