This week, the City of Lawrence Housing Initiatives Division, along with City staff volunteers, began site preparation for the new short-term homeless community support site located off of North 2nd St. Locating the support site off of North 2nd St. is allowable under City Ordinance 9754, and staff shared the plan with City Commission at the meeting on September 6, 2022.
Staff has been working closely with those individuals currently located in the allowed camping area to assist them with temporarily locating to a space adjacent to the site nearby. This allows staff to prepare the area of the larger support site. A coordinated clean-up of the location is ongoing this week.
The Housing Initiatives Division team has communicated and coordinated with the current site occupants about the site preparation efforts, why they have been asked to temporarily relocate and where they are going. The team has also been working with homeless individuals currently staying elsewhere in Lawrence who are planning to move to the new short-term support site located off of North 2nd St.
The team has developed a phased process for assisting those interested in staying at the new support site. The move-ins will begin the first week of October and will be ongoing as staff provides services and resources to those in other areas of the community not included in the allowable camping tract.
This short-term homeless community support site will be open throughout the winter, concurrent with the Winter Emergency Shelter. Those staying at the site will be encouraged to utilize the Winter Emergency Shelter when it opens on December 1.
Contact: Jenn Wolsey, Homeless Programs Coordinator, jwolsey@lawrenceks.org | 615-423-1979