Columbia Shelters to Take in About 190 People Friday
The Voluntary Action Center's Opportunity Campus expects a heavy overnight crowd as winter sets in, with New Day Columbia opening as a warming center if temperatures drop below 25 degrees.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Current Conditions
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The Voluntary Action Center's Opportunity Campus in Columbia is preparing to shelter about 190 people Friday night, November 14. The campus's year-round Waypoint shelter has 150 regular beds, and New Day Columbia will open as an emergency overnight warming center if temperatures fall below 25 degrees.
Why it matters
Friday will be the first winter for the shelter operations on the Opportunity Campus, and demand is already running above regular capacity. The arrangement shows how Columbia is layering a permanent shelter with a temperature-triggered warming center to cover the coldest nights.
Waypoint's shelter director projects about 170 people Friday night, against 150 beds, with 20 backup cots available in hallways and other spaces. New Day Columbia estimates about 20 people could stay there if it opens.
The players
Voluntary Action Center
A Columbia-based nonprofit that operates the Opportunity Campus and its Waypoint year-round overnight shelter, and secured a $745,400 Mabee Foundation grant for its resource center.
New Day Columbia
An overnight shelter operator that will open as an emergency warming center when temperatures fall below 25 degrees.
The details
Waypoint, which opened July 13 to replace Room at the Inn on Ashley Street, served 151 people in its first 53 days, 131 of them Boone County residents. If regular beds fill, staff can set up 20 additional cots, and anyone can stay at New Day even if Waypoint still has space.
Timeline
July 13: Waypoint opened on the Opportunity Campus, replacing Room at the Inn.
December 2025: The Columbia City Council approved nearly $585,000 for the Voluntary Action Center's overnight shelter services.
Friday, November 14, 2026: Shelters expect about 190 people, the first winter on the campus.
Seasonal Patterns
The Friday surge is a first test for the Opportunity Campus, which replaced the 80 to 90 cot Room at the Inn on Ashley Street with a 150-bed facility opened July 13. Its winter performance will show whether the expanded capacity holds as cold weather arrives.
If temperatures fall below 25 degrees, New Day Columbia will open as an overnight warming center, and anyone in need can stay there even when Waypoint has space. Residents who need shelter should plan to check on availability at either location Friday night.
The takeaway
Cold-weather shelter capacity depends on flexible backup space, not just regular beds. Friday's arrangement, with 20 extra cots and a temperature-triggered warming center, shows how the campus plans for demand beyond its listed capacity.
Further reading
For the latest local conditions, see Current Conditions in Columbia.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOMU 8.
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