The Hub
One building. Three organizations. Everything under one roof.
The Hub is a collaborative community space at VAC Opportunity Campus where VAC’s Shelter, Turning Point Day Center, and Loaves & Fishes work side-by-side to serve Columbia’s unhoused neighbors.
Temporary Location Notice
Services are currently operating at the Ashley Street Center, 1509 Ashley St.
About the Hub
The Hub was designed around a straightforward idea: the people who need help most shouldn’t have to navigate across town to get it.
Three organizations will share the space. VAC operates the shelter which is a year-round, housing-first emergency shelter with 24/7 staffing, case management, and a clear pathway to permanent housing. Turning Point Day Center—previously located at Wilkes Blvd. United Methodist Church—provides daytime services, community connection, and individual support. Loaves & Fishes serves hot meals every evening, no requirements, no questions.
Each organization is independent. Together, they make The Hub something none of them could build alone.
Location
Until The Hub opens in July 2026, all services are available at the Ashley Street Center — 1509 Ashley St., east of the city power plant on Business Loop 70.
- By bus: Accessible via Go Como Transit Orange Route.
- By shuttle: VAC runs a shuttle from Wilkes Methodist Church Monday through Friday at 3:45 pm, and Sundays at 4 pm.
Key Services at The Hub
The Hub will be a low-barrier facility, operating 24/7 and 365 days a year to provide comprehensive services for individuals experiencing chronic and unsheltered homelessness in Boone County.
Shelter
Year-round, low-barrier emergency shelter with professional staff on-site 24/7.
Day Services
A safe, stable place to be during the day, with access to case management, laundry, computer lab, storage, and showers.
Meal Services
Hot evening meals served daily by Loaves & Fishes. Everyone is welcome.
Room at the Inn is now the shelter.
For more than 15 years, Room at the Inn provided overnight shelter to Columbia’s unhoused neighbors, first through a network of faith communities rotating hosting duties, and from a permanent home at the Ashley Street Center. That work has always mattered. The people who built it, staffed it, and showed up for it built something real.
In January 2026, Room at the Inn’s board made the decision to fold the organization fully into VAC. Their staff, their services, and their commitment to low-barrier shelter are now part of VAC’s operation.
The name is new. The work isn’t.
The shelter currently operates at the Ashley Street Center at 1509 Ashley St. When The Hub opens at VAC Opportunity Campus in July 2026, the shelther will move there permanently to operate alongside Turning Point Day Center and Loaves & Fishes, bringing all of these services together under one roof for the first time.
If you or someone you know has used Room at the Inn before, you’re in the right place. Same low-barrier access. Same commitment to shelter without conditions.
What is housing first?
Housing first means we provide stable shelter before anything else — no sobriety requirements, no employment conditions, no proving you’re ready. When people have a safe place to land, everything else becomes possible.
This isn’t a new idea. It’s a proven one. Housing-first programs have a 97% success rate in keeping people housed long-term.
Volunteer at The Hub
Volunteers can support The Hub in a number of ways, from working evening shelter shifts to providing meal service assistance. Shifts vary in duties and duration, and all volunteers must be 18 or older.