Center offering hope for local homeless families set to open in 2026

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — A new facility under construction in Columbus offers a beacon of hope for unhoused families.

The Columbus Salvation Army’s Center of Hope is set to open in the first quarter of 2026. As of Nov. 5, construction is roughly 60% complete.

“What makes our program special is, first of all, it allows families to stay together so we can keep them as a full family in the same apartment,” Director of the Columbus Salvation Army Andre Pereira said. “The other part of it is we’re going to really get to the root cause of their situation. We’re going to work with them on addressing those issues, not just offer them a place to stay temporarily.”

Once completed the Center of Hope will house up to 17 families in need, providing them with food and individualized case management to address individual struggles from finding a job to getting mental health resources.  

Pereira said, between the government shutdown and rise in homelessness since the pandemic, more families are finding themselves in need of help.  

“Whether it’s the government shutdown or they lost their job or just the lack of resources in the community, we’re seeing a lot more people just struggling,” Pereira said. “Those people who maybe a year ago were just making it – just barely making it – now they’re not making it.”

Pereira said many of those in need of help are those who have never faced homelessness before.

The hope is that the Center’s six-month program will be enough to get those families back to “making it.” It could be a step toward chipping away at the local homelessness issue.

Pereira said, “I think if we can really take a hit at that homelessness in families, it’s going to really, really be a good thing for this community.”

Partnerships with other local organizations like Mercy Med and Open Door will also be a part of the Center of Hope program.

The Salvation Army will begin releasing information about how to apply to the Center of Hope program in the coming months.