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Kansas lawmakers want to crack down on homeless crime. Law enforcement says it won’t help
Law enforcement officials say arresting people who are unhoused for minor crimes like trespassing and vandalism will not help reduce homelessness. Experts say it will cost a lot of tax dollars and actually makes homelessness worse.
Kansas lawmakers want to crack down on homeless crime. Law enforcement says it won’t help
Law enforcement officials say arresting people who are unhoused for minor crimes like trespassing and vandalism will not help reduce homelessness. Experts say it will cost a lot of tax dollars and actually makes homelessness worse.
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Andrea Albright / The Lawrence Times
Simulation provides glimpse into struggles faced by those moving from incarceration to independence
An interactive simulation on Wednesday highlighted the challenges faced by individuals transitioning from a life of incarceration into the community.
Emergency rental assistance still available; guidelines changed to help more Kansans at risk for eviction
Recent updates to KERA — Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance — are allowing the state to serve more Kansans who need help with rent, utility and internet payments.
Douglas County / Contributed Photo
New manager of human services continues efforts toward safe, accessible housing for all in Douglas County
Gabi Sprague is the new human services program manager for Douglas County. She’ll focus on preventing homelessness and helping unify the work of local social service agencies. Though the title is new for Sprague, the work isn’t.
Lawrence Times graphic
Preliminary report on unhoused people in Douglas County reveals disparities among people of color, women
With the clock ticking on Douglas County’s goal of eliminating functional homelessness in 2023, a new report reveals disparities; among them, Black and Indigenous people are experiencing homelessness at rates nearly 3-5 times higher than the general population.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Lawrence winter shelter to close for the season after March 1
Lawrence’s winter emergency shelter, which has housed nearly 200 individuals at the Community Building for the season’s coldest overnights, will close after Tuesday, March 1.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Lawrence’s winter emergency shelter ‘in danger of closing’ without volunteer support, city says; paid positions available
The city’s winter emergency shelter is in dire need of volunteers to staff the Community Building on nights when the temperature drops below 35°. Part-time positions paying $18 per hour are also available.
Emmanuel Ramírez/Contributed Photo
A moment in Lawrence: Remembering those who died in conditions of homelessness
Local groups Somos Lawrence and the DARE (Drop-In And Rest) Center organized a Día de los Muertos remembrance on Monday to honor unhoused people who have died in Lawrence.
Lawrence City Commission approves overnight winter emergency shelter in two community buildings
With temperatures dropping, Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a necessary step to help provide winter emergency shelter for those in need.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
City of Lawrence prepares to open winter emergency shelters; volunteer support needed
As freezing temperatures draw ever closer, the city of Lawrence is preparing to provide emergency shelter for community members experiencing homelessness and houselessness.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Tenants of Lawrence’s Brookwood mobile homes organizing for better conditions
People living in Brookwood Mobile Home Park say they’ve faced challenges ranging from delayed maintenance and sewage in the streets to rejection of rental assistance and threats of eviction.
City of Lawrence still needs church volunteers for winter shelter program; commissioners discuss $1.5M soccer field project
The Lawrence city manager gave city staff and commissioners an update Tuesday on the winter weather shelter program, which is anticipating demand of about 200 people and so far only has the capacity for 40. The commission also discussed a $1.5M soccer field project.
Douglas County Commission approves homelessness resources, discusses options for federal funds
The Douglas County Commission approved new funding toward addressing local homelessness and discussed federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act at Wednesday’s meeting.
Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector
Homeless advocate: COVID-19 relief insufficient, eviction surge puts families in peril
Joe Reitz, who helped start Family Promise of Lawrence, said the organization was providing emergency shelter and services to nearly two dozen families prior to the coronavirus outbreak. More recently, he said, the nonprofit was struggling to care for more than 85 families.
Douglas County Commission approves new health order, funding for homelessness assessment
The Douglas County Commission on Wednesday approved a new emergency health order for people experiencing homelessness, aimed at minimizing COVID-19 exposure.
Drone Lawrence/dronelawrence.com
Douglas County Commission to discuss new health order, homelessness assessments
A new COVID-19 emergency health order to address risk of spread in congregate housing and two homelessness needs assessments are among the topics to be discussed at the Douglas County Commission’s Wednesday meeting.
Fund aims to help tenants get housing by incentivizing Lawrence, Douglas County landlords
A new fund from the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority aims to reduce high barriers for people to get housing by spurring landlords to loosen some screening requirements and agree to lease their units.
Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector
Kansas housing advocates warn of looming eviction crisis beyond CDC reprieve
A new eviction moratorium issued by the CDC should cover most Kansas renters, but stakeholders and advocates agree it is only a temporary solution demanding further action.
Evictions will resume soon; here’s what you need to know if you’re at risk of losing housing in Lawrence
Updated at 11:04 p.m. Friday: Starting Saturday, there will be no federal legal protections in place to stop evictions, which could mean a lot of people will lose housing. If you’re at risk in Lawrence, here are some resources to help.
Federal eviction ban expires Saturday after attempt to extend it fails
Updated at 10:51 p.m. Friday: Congressional Democrats unsuccessfully scrambled on Friday to extend federal legal protections against eviction that will expire on Saturday.
Lawrence board gives initial green light to approve $1.2M in affordable housing projects this year
Lawrence’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board on Monday gave an initial approval of the funding level it intends to allocate later this year to applicants focused on housing services — an increase of 175% over the funds that were available last year.
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