Englewood’s only overnight homeless shelter has closed just over a year after opening, as Bridge House prepares to end all operations. The Boulder-based nonprofit, which has served Front Range communities for three decades, attributed the shutdown to uncertainty surrounding funding. Its remaining programs in Englewood and Boulder are scheduled to close before the end of the year.
Matthew Carl, who moved into Bridge House in August after losing his job, told Denver7 the shelter’s closure surprised him. Before joining its Ready to Work program, he had been staying in a tunnel to escape the elements. Bridge House helped him find a job that he will soon move for, he said, but dozens of others received only a few days’ notice to find somewhere else to go. He fears many will return to living outside.
Denver7 reporter Danielle Kreutter found the front door locked and notices announcing the end of services during a visit the previous Friday. Within a week, signs indicated that navigation services had permanently closed. Bridge House declined repeated interview requests but provided a statement describing its financial difficulties and plans to wind down.
The organization said restructuring began in January following the departure of its then-chief executive and the appointment of transitional leadership. Earlier changes included closing Aurora’s Ready to Work property and the Community Table Kitchen social enterprise, along with staff reductions. Its transition schedule sets mid-November for the closure of Englewood’s Ready to Work program and Tri-Cities Homeless Navigation Center, and Dec. 31 for Boulder’s Ready to Work program.
Bridge House said staff are developing individual transition plans with remaining interns and trainees. Options depend on participants’ needs, goals and available services, and may include other community programs or a temporary move from Englewood to the Boulder program house. A transition committee and internal team are overseeing the shutdown, while a board committee and legal counsel assist with property sales and possible partnerships involving restricted assets.
The Tri-Cities Homeless Initiative, which works with Englewood to provide and fund homelessness resources, told Denver7 earlier in the week that Bridge House had not formally notified it of the closure. In a statement, Tri-Cities said Arapahoe County and its providers have a severe weather sheltering plan for winter. It also reported that the 2025 Point-in-Time count showed an 18 percent decline in people newly experiencing homelessness and a 22 percent decline in unsheltered homelessness.
Englewood, Littleton and Sheridan city councils will meet with the Tri-Cities Homelessness Policy Group on Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Englewood Civic Center’s Community Room. The navigation center’s future will be part of the discussion. Englewood has also launched a local resource guide, and city leaders encourage residents seeking assistance to call 2-1-1 for health and human services referrals.
Other providers are already seeing increased demand. Julie Hall, program director for HAAT Force, said the organization recorded its highest level of need on the Friday following the closure. The nonprofit provides emergency hotel shelter during severe winter weather and offers laundry, meals, clothing and showers on designated days. It typically supplies 40 cold weather hotel vouchers and hopes to raise money for more.
Hall said a dependable, year-round overnight shelter would strengthen existing services, alongside hotel options that accommodate differing needs, including those of older adults and people with pets. Carl also hopes the community can preserve access to shelter, pointing to the help he received through Bridge House.
