Voluntary Action Center to fully open new Opportunity Campus in Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Voluntary Action Center's Opportunity Campus in Columbia will officially open its doors Monday to support people experiencing hardship and homelessness.

The 30,000-plus-square-foot facility, capable of serving over 7,000 people, is located in the 1300 block of Bowling Street. The $18.6 million facility began construction in February 2024 and part of the Opportunity Campus opened its doors as an overnight cooling center earlier this month.

The campus includes 150 beds, an overflow bed area with private rooms for sick individuals, a commercial kitchen and dining room area, showers and more. People will also have access to an on-site medical center run by Centerstone.

The shelter also has mail delivery, laundry services, computer access and secure storage spaces.

While most shelters in Missouri don't allow pets, the Opportunity Campus offers a veterinary exam area, a pet washing station, indoor/outdoor kennel runs, and more for those with pets.

According to Columbia's 2025 State of Homelessness Report, 309 people experienced homelessness last year. The city's homeless population has hovered around the 300 mark for at least three years, with 323 reported in 2024 and 270 in 2023. The report was not done during the pandemic from 2020-22.