Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission members on Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of a permit to allow Family Promise to open a longer-term shelter for families as they transition into permanent housing.
Numerous community members spoke glowingly about Family Promise and the ways the organization helps families who are experiencing housing crises.
“Family Promise changed the trajectory of my life, and every single person that I know in the program,” said Ashley See, who graduated from the program about 10 years ago. “Our kids are going to college. We’re breaking generational curses. This program is so much more than just getting people housed.”
The plans for the shelter will reuse a former child care center at 200 Mount Hope Court, in the Pinkney neighborhood.
See said she believes the new shelter could offer would be beneficial to give families more stability. She also worked at the child care center, and the location is “so incredibly perfect for this project,” she said.
The shelter will include six bedrooms that each have a queen bed and a bunk bed set, and each bedroom will have its own bathroom. The maximum occupancy will be 24 guests plus staff.
The property already has a fenced play area for kids. It will also have a business center for families to use.
People who live there will be required to seek full-time employment and permanent housing while they’re there. They must also treat staff members and neighbors with courtesy and respect. People who stay there must pass drug and alcohol screens. There are no weapons of any kind allowed.
Planning commissioner Sharon Ashworth joked that some of us can only wish we had such criteria for our neighbors. She also said she always liked when buildings can be reused.
Some of the planning commissioners themselves spoke highly of Family Promise before voting unanimously in favor of the special use permit. The permit will go to the Lawrence City Commission for final approval.
See more about the special use permit in the planning commission’s meeting agenda at this link.
Update, Feb. 24, 2024: Lawrence city commissioners unanimously approved this special use permit as part of the consent agenda during their Feb. 20, 2024 meeting.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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