December 13, 2022
Last week, the City of Lawrence began transitioning current residents of the temporary support site in North Lawrence to the Winter Emergency Shelter located at the Community Building, 115 E 11th St.
The Winter Emergency Shelter (WES) provides 75 overnight shelter spaces in our community. While the Homeless Programs Team initially considered keeping the support site in North Lawrence open concurrently with the WES, much has been learned from the support site about what the full need is in our community. With this and colder weather forecasted, the team has determined it would be best to refocus resources on the opening of an overflow overnight shelter to accommodate people in need of an indoor sheltering space as the weather turns colder.
If the Winter Emergency Shelter does reach capacity, the City has designated the East Lawrence Recreation Center as an overflow overnight shelter with an additional 40 beds available, should there be enough volunteer support to assist staffing the second location.
City staff is encouraging people staying at the support site to use the WES now that it is open. The Homeless Programs Team has started transitioning individuals, 10 to 15 people at a time, from the support site to the WES in a phased approach that is set for completion by the end of January 2023. Everyone at the temporary support site in North Lawrence will be given a minimum of 72-hours’ notice of when they need to leave the site.
The City plans to remove City support from the site by the end of January 2023, which means bringing the property back to its original state. This includes removing tents, trailers, fencing, port-a-johns, trash containers and dumpsters as well as any other property discarded by current campers. It also includes removing City staff support, which will allow the Homeless Programs Team to focus on longer-term solutions to both homelessness and affordable housing. The team will continue to evaluate the need and provide recommendations for short-term sheltering resources as they work toward more long-term solutions.
While there will no longer be City support at the property in North Lawrence, it will remain an approved area for unsheltered individuals to camp if there are no alternative shelter options available to them, per City Ordinance 9754.
The Homeless Programs Team will continue to provide outreach at every encampment throughout Lawrence, encouraging individuals to use the Winter Emergency Shelter as an emergency shelter space. As more sheltering options become available in the future, the City will continue to evaluate and determine next steps regarding unsanctioned encampments.
Contact: Porter Arneill, Director of Communications and Creative Resources, parneill@lawrenceks.org