Colorado Springs homeless shelter cutting number of available rooms in half amid $1M budget shortfall
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Salvation Army in Colorado Springs says it has made the tough decision to cut some of its emergency shelter rooms for families amid a $1 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year.
Last month, the nonprofit’s Colorado Springs branch asked City Council for help raising up to $1 million to cover its projected shortfall for the 2025-26 fiscal year, starting Oct. 1.
READ MORE: Salvation Army asks City Council for help making up $1 million budget shortfall
The nonprofit cautioned that without the needed funding, it would have to scale back operations at its Family Hope Center – a warning that’s now becoming a reality.
Located at 709 S. Sierra Madre St., the Family Hope Center is the only low-barrier family shelter in the area, allowing families short-term access to beds in a private room with no application or drug test requirement.
The Salvation Army touts a high success rate at the center; over the past year, the nonprofit has helped over 170 families once staying in the Family Hope Center transition into permanent housing.
But the nonprofit says the budget shortfall is now forcing it to halve the available rooms at the shelter, cutting it down from 31 rooms to just 15.
"For a number of years now, about 3 years ago, we started seeing a decline in some of the funding sources. And we've been able to carry forth our program for these previous years, but we're at a place right now where we can't continue at the same level as we were before," Major Steven Ball, El Paso County Coordinator for The Salvation Army, said.
The change will go into effect in October. It comes just months after the release of El Paso County's latest Point-in-Time (PIT) count, which showed a record-high spike of individuals experiencing homelessness in the area. That number ballooned from 1,146 in 2024 to 1,745 people in 2025.
“Unfortunately, we are forced to take this painful step while El Paso County is seeing an increased need for emergency sheltering for families experiencing homelessness," Ball said.
The Salvation Army says it's approached the city with a request for emergency funding, but so far, the nonprofit's leaders say they've seen no sign of that money.
In the meantime, the nonprofit is asking for help from the community. Leaders have launched a fundraising effort called “Hope Needs Help," aiming to restore their services to full capacity.
The Salvation Army says 100% of donations will go toward programs including emergency food distribution, homelessness prevention, veteran support, and youth mentorship programs.
If you would like to donate, you can do so by clicking the link here or by mailing a check to The Salvation Army Colorado Springs, 908 Yuma Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80909.
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