The City of Lawrence is tightening requirements for people to receive homelessness services, and people who previously lived in town, relocated elsewhere and returned are now “considered non-residents” until they’ve established housing.
In a previous policy update in August 2024, the city and contracted service providers started providing only short-term assistance for “non-resident homeless individuals” and helping people return to their “place of origin.”
Misty Bosch-Hastings, director of the city’s homeless solutions division, said at the time that the city was generally looking at people spending six to 12 months or more in Douglas County as a guideline to establish residency.
The concept of proving residency without a home has raised questions, but there were a number of ways people could prove residency, Bosch-Hastings said at the time. If someone went to school here, had a lease or employment, had treatment at the hospital or Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center — all of those kinds of things could help the city track down the documentation people needed.
Under the new policy update, announced Monday, “Individuals cannot re-establish residency through temporary shelter stays, encampments, or receipt of homeless services. Residency can be re-established only by independently securing and maintaining permanent housing (such as a rental or owned unit) within Douglas County.”
“These changes demonstrate that our priority is to ensure Douglas County residents experiencing homelessness have access to the support and services they need to regain stability,” Bosch-Hastings said in a news release from the city on Monday.
The policy update also states that people “may return to their community of origin or to another community where they have confirmed support and are welcome to return,” and that “The return plan must now include contact with receiving agencies or individuals to confirm acceptance and coordination.”
“We’re committed to helping vulnerable non-residents return to the appropriate community to receive the care they need,” Bosch-Hastings said in the release. “It’s about balancing compassion with accountability, reinforcing responsible allocation of resources, and ensuring everyone is connected to the best path forward.”
Going forward, accepted documentation to verify residency will include utility bills showing a Douglas County address, or a lease or rental agreement. “Residents of Lawrence/Douglas County experiencing homelessness and seeking services who are unable to provide traditional forms of documentation to verify residency in the city of Lawrence may request assistance through the Homeless Solutions Division,” according to the update. People can call 785-760-1481 for questions or assistance.
Here’s the complete policy update:
nonresident-homeless-policyLawrence voters in November voted to double the city’s special sales tax for affordable housing and homelessness solutions. The change added an extra nickel per $100 spent in Lawrence.
However, the city is still facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit next year, including about half a million within the homeless solutions division. A tentative cut to the division’s budget would include cutting one full-time position, reducing funds for campsite cleanups and an already planned 10% reduction in the amount of money the city is paying the Lawrence Community Shelter.
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