Homeward Bound to Close North Avenue Shelter, Consolidate Services

Funding challenges force nonprofit to consolidate operations at Pathways location by end of February

Feb. 3, 2026 at 6:55pm

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Homeward Bound, a nonprofit organization operating two homeless shelters in Grand Junction, Colorado, is preparing to close its North Avenue shelter on February 27th and consolidate all services at its Pathways facility due to ongoing funding challenges. The North Avenue shelter currently serves around 100 people overnight, and while some residents will be moved to the Pathways shelter, others will need to find alternative arrangements as the consolidated location will not be able to match the total number of beds previously available across both sites.

Why it matters

The closure of the North Avenue shelter will have a significant impact on the local community, raising broader concerns about future shelter capacity in the area. Homeward Bound is working with the city, county, and other service providers to try to mitigate the effects of this consolidation.

The details

Homeward Bound currently operates two shelters in Grand Junction - one on North Avenue and another at the Pathways location on 29 Road. The North Avenue shelter, which serves around 100 people overnight, will be closing on February 27th. While some residents will be moved to the Pathways shelter, which also has capacity for about 100 beds, others will need to find alternative arrangements as the consolidated location will not be able to match the total number of beds previously available. The Pathways building was originally designed as a family shelter, but its layout allows staff to serve a variety of populations, including families, single adults, and people being discharged from the hospital who need short-term respite care. Homeward Bound leaders say operating out of one location will allow the organization to increase staffing levels and provide more intensive case management services to help residents develop individualized action plans and move toward long-term housing stability.

  • The North Avenue shelter is scheduled to close on February 27, 2026.
  • Homeward Bound has been operating two shelters in the community through the end of February 2026.

The players

Homeward Bound

A nonprofit organization operating two homeless shelters in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Dan Prinster

The interim CEO of Homeward Bound.

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What they’re saying

“We were lucky that the community was able to provide enough financial support to operate both shelters through the end of February. But the funding environment is changing over time, so we're going to be closing the North Avenue shelter at the end of February.”

— Dan Prinster, Interim CEO of Homeward Bound

“Because of the design of the building, we're going to be able to accommodate different populations. But it's not going to be the same number of beds that we had before.”

— Dan Prinster, Interim CEO of Homeward Bound

“When somebody comes in, they're going to have more involvement with our case managers and put together an action plan that will help them progress.”

— Dan Prinster, Interim CEO of Homeward Bound

What’s next

Homeward Bound is working with the city, county, and other service providers to reduce the impact of the North Avenue shelter closure on the local community.

The takeaway

The consolidation of Homeward Bound's shelters in Grand Junction highlights the ongoing funding challenges facing nonprofit organizations providing critical services to the homeless population. While the move to a single location may allow for improved case management, it also reduces the overall shelter capacity in the community, raising concerns about future shelter availability.