Hope Center

The Hope Center began in 1993 with a simple but urgent mission: to help people in crisis—those struggling with homelessness, addiction, and mental illness—find stability, healing, and hope. What started decades ago as a modest shelter has grown into a lifeline for thousands in Central Kentucky.

Every night, more than 800 men and women sleep under the Hope Center’s roof. Some come seeking safe shelter, others a chance to recover from substance use disorder, and many are looking for the tools to rebuild their lives. The Hope Center meets those needs with comprehensive services, including emergency shelter, recovery programs, mental health support, transitional housing, and job readiness assistance.

In recent years, the Hope Center has expanded to address emerging needs in our community. The One Parent Scholar House provides housing and support for single parents pursuing higher education, giving them and their children the chance to break the cycle of poverty through stability, education, and opportunity.

Most recently, the Hope Center opened the Quantrell Jones Center, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to men’s recovery and Veterans facing homelessness. This center represents not only growth in space, but also growth in vision—ensuring that more men battling addiction and/or homelessness have the environment, mentorship, and professional care they need to find lasting success.

At its heart, the Hope Center is about transformation. Clients often arrive at their lowest point, but through a community of care, accountability, and compassion, they discover that healing and new beginnings are possible.

The Hope Center’s story continues because of the generosity and commitment of the Lexington community. Together, we are not only providing shelter—we are building hope, dignity, and futures.

Who We Are

The Hope Center fights homelessness on a number of fronts. It focuses on the root causes of individual homelessness, whether they are found in addiction, mental illness, lack of skills or some other cause including the need to connect with the appropriate resources.

Each night, over 700 people find a place to sleep at a facility under the direction and management of the Hope Center. Our programs include an emergency shelter for men, residential recovery programs for men and women, mental health/dual diagnosis programs, a veterans program, and transitional and permanent sober housing facilities.