AURORA | A local work-first housing program for homeless people will close its doors in Aurora at the end of September, citing financial sustainability issues.

Bridge House, a Boulder-based nonprofit group announced it will close the Aurora Ready to Work program, as well as a community kitchen program in Boulder, according to a statement on its website.

The statement said the decision was made after reviewing the organization’s “current operating realities, financial sustainability, and the need to protect our long-term mission.”

The program’s last day is Sept. 30.

Bridge House Interim CEO Scott Shields told the Sentinel that the decision to close the program was incredibly difficult and he emphasized it was not a reflection of staff dedication.

“The simple answer is straight financial constraints,” Shields said, pointing to facility costs and questions about the long-term viability of the program building. “This is an extraordinarily difficult decision, but in no way is it a judgment about the team.”

The Aurora Ready to Work program, which operated out of a transformed office building at 3176 S Peoria Court, adjacent to RTD’s Nine Mile Park and Ride, offers transitional housing paired with paid work and case management with a goal of moving people into permanent housing and jobs. 

Aurora’s program started in 2018 and Bridge House also has Ready to Work programs in Boulder and Englewood. The Boulder and Englewood programs will continue. 

Bridge House applied for a grant through the city this year, but city spokesperson Joe Rubino said the program did not meet the updated criteria, which prioritizes low-barrier shelters that do not have work requirements. 

Aurora opened its own homeless program late last year, the Aurora Navigation Campus, providing a variety of space. From April to June, the campus served an average of 234 people each day, with nearly 300 people staying each night.

Rubino said funding for service providers has decreased in recent years, requiring the city to prioritize funding based on community needs, available resources and program performance. Access to low-barrier shelters is “one of the city’s most pressing unmet needs.”

“Because Bridge House does not operate a true low-barrier emergency shelter, our funding priorities have shifted toward programs that address this critical community need while continuing to ensure a range of services are available across the system,” Rubino said.

The city previously provided $74,870 in grant funding to Bridge House in 2025, although it only spent about $51,400. In 2024, Bridge House received and spent $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding. 

The city also had a two-year contract with Bridge House from 2022–2023, which awarded the organization a total of $269,000 from marijuana sales taxes, although it only spent about $253,300.

Mayor Mike Coffman said in an email statement that he regrets the loss of a “fantastic program in our city.”

“We thank Bridge House for its service to our city and to individuals seeking to stabilize their lives,” he said.

Coffman said the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus will meet a similar need through its Tier 3 service. The campus operates on a tier system, with the first tier being a low-barrier shelter and the third tier offering individual rooms or transitional housing with requirements of having a job and being sober.

Currently, Tier 3 housing is not available because of mold remediation and construction, which is expected to be completed later this year. 

“Once Tier III is fully operational, I am optimistic it will fill the service needs left by Bridge House when it concludes its program in Aurora,” Coffman said.

Aurora’s Ready to Work program has a capacity of 50 people and Shields said about 30 people are enrolled. Bridge House said it’s helping transition Aurora participants to other Ready to Work locations, another community program or “another plan based on individual needs, availability, and goals.”

In 2025, 68 people graduated from the Ready to Work programs in Aurora, Boulder and Englewood, which have a total capacity of 144 spots, according to Bridge House’s annual report. The report says the program has a graduation rate of 75%.

Shields also said some participants are close to completing the program, so Bridge House is working to help them graduate.

The community kitchen in Boulder, which provided meals to people with food insecurity and operated a cafe and catering services while providing jobs, closes Friday.

Bridge House also eliminated its community relations manager as of July 31. The online statement said the organization is taking a “compassionate approach” with impacted staff. 

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