Local
Van Buren Center to seek new service providers as YMCA shifts focus
The Community Shelter Board will solicit proposals in November for organizations to serve Columbus’ Van Buren Center, where the YMCA’s decade-plus partnership is ending. The board says it aims to preserve services for roughly 520 people a day as it prepares for a transition by June 30, 2027.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Community Shelter Board plans to find new organizations to provide services at the Van Buren Center after the YMCA of Central Ohio’s partnership with the emergency shelter ends following more than a decade.
The board expects to issue a request for proposals in November and name new partners in February. The transition is scheduled to be complete by June 30, 2027.
The YMCA said the change reflects a shift in its social-service priorities toward prevention and stability rather than round-the-clock crisis care. It plans to continue offering case management at Van Buren to help people move from shelter into housing, and said it is coordinating with the board on service continuity and support for employees.
Van Buren serves an average of about 520 people and families each day, according to Adam Rowan, the board’s chief operating officer. That number can rise to 650 during winter. The center provides year-round emergency shelter for women and families, adds shelter for men during winter overflow, and offers help finding permanent housing.
Rowan said the board’s goal is to keep services available throughout the change. The search will also give the board a chance to assess current programs and consider improvements, he said, while building on services that have worked well.
The board and YMCA plan to keep the community informed as the transition advances.