Denver Rescue Mission to cut 71 jobs as it exits 48th Avenue shelter contract

The Denver Rescue Mission will terminate the employment of 71 staff members at the 48th Avenue Center on Dec. 31. The nonprofit submitted a notice to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment on Oct. 30 to formalize these layoffs. The decision follows the city's termination of the organization's contract to operate the shelter located at 4600 E. 48th Ave.

The facility sits off Interstate 70 and Colorado Boulevard in the north side of Denver. It currently provides housing for 538 men, along with three daily meals, bathroom access, and other support services. Dennis Van Kampen, the chief executive officer of the Denver Rescue Mission, explained that the organization chose not to bid on a new city contract. He stated this move aligns with a strategic shift toward programs designed to prevent homelessness before it begins.

Julia Marvin, a spokeswoman for Denver’s Department of Housing Stability, confirmed in an email that the city opened bidding for shelter management contracts for 2027. She verified that the Denver Rescue Mission did not apply to continue operations at the 48th Avenue Center. The department is scheduled to discuss the 2027 shelter-service provider contracts at a committee meeting on Tuesday. Marvin did not name the organization selected to take over the facility's operations.

Marvin assured residents that there will be no interruption to services at the shelter during the transition. The Denver Rescue Mission will continue to operate its other facilities, including its prominent campus in downtown Denver. This campus includes the 200-bed Lawrence Street Shelter and an adjacent community center where individuals can eat, rest, and register for services.

The organization also maintains a complex on Smith Road known as The Crossing. This site contains 30 emergency and family-shelter units, transitional housing, and a men’s residential recovery program. Additionally, the mission runs a Ministry Outreach Center at 5725 E. 39th Ave., which serves as a warehouse for distributing food, furniture, and other resources. Next to that warehouse, the Holly Center provides 200 beds and acts as a year-round overflow facility. The Denver Rescue Mission also operates a shelter in Fort Collins and a farm in Wellington, all of which will remain open.

In September 2025, the nonprofit launched a school-based pilot program in Jeffco Public Schools and the Poudre School District. This initiative assists students' families who are at risk of losing housing. Van Kampen noted that more than half of the adults served by the organization first experienced homelessness during childhood. He said the mission feels a need to get upstream and prevent homelessness from the start.

During the first year of the prevention program, 106 families, including 211 children, remained in their homes and apartments. The program expanded to Clayton Early Learning Center in Denver this school year. Van Kampen stated that the mission plans to expand the school program annually. The organization chose to drop its management of the 48th Avenue Center to deploy more resources toward this school-based initiative.

The layoffs at the 48th Avenue Center will affect custodians, chefs, community coordinators, intake specialists, and case managers. Van Kampen said the Denver Rescue Mission is already coordinating with the new manager of the center. He envisions that the nonprofit will hire the center's current employees for its other locations.