Part of Columbia’s Opportunity Campus opens ahead of schedule as overnight cooling shelter

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Part of Columbia's new Opportunity Campus will be open on Wednesday night due to extreme heat in the area.

ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Days are in effect through the weekend as the heat index looks to hit triple digits.

New Day Columbia will operate the overnight cooling center at 1304 Bowling St. in Columbia from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. for those unable to escape the elements. Wednesday is the first night a portion of the Opportunity Campus will operate as an overnight shelter. The location started operating as a daytime cooling area on Monday.

The Opportunity Campus is made up of two buildings— the Cindy Mustard Resource Center and The Hub. The cooling center will be located in The Hub on the building's east side.

The $18.6 million facility built to support people experiencing hardship and homelessness is set to open its doors fully in mid-to-late July.

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. 

 On Wednesday, the formation of a Steering Committee was also announced by the city. The committee tasked with creating "a Strategic Plan focused on actionable steps to address homelessness in Columbia," according to a press release from the city.

A news release from the city said the committee will consider primary and secondary data, community needs and feasibility. The committee will collect input from individuals with lived experience, related organizations, business owners, higher education institutions and more.

The release says the public will have an opportunity to be involved in the process through focus groups and a community survey.

The Steering Committee will be assisted in the process by City of Columbia staff members and facilitators from contractor BerryDunn. Some notable committee members include Ward 6 Councilwoman Betsy Peters, Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer, Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude and Boone County Northern District Commissioner Janet Thompson.