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Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Camp sweep near I-70 in Lawrence leaves people asking where else they can go
People living in tents and hand-built structures near Interstate 70 in Lawrence
were forced to vacate the property in the cold during a camp sweep Wednesday. Many had their possessions destroyed and don’t know where they can go next.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Camp sweep near I-70 in Lawrence leaves people asking where else they can go
People living in tents and hand-built structures near Interstate 70 in Lawrence
were forced to vacate the property in the cold during a camp sweep Wednesday. Many had their possessions destroyed and don’t know where they can go next.
FORECAST
Lawrence, KS WeatherMORE
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.
Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector
With Kansas eviction moratorium lifted, advocates prepare for surge in homelessness
Homeless shelters in Kansas metro areas are already seeing more requests for housing in the days after legislative leaders lifted a statewide ban on evictions.
Dan Rockhill
Tom Harper: Open house planned for student-designed Monarch Village project at Lawrence Community Shelter (Column)
An open house for Monarch Village will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Mask up and come take a tour of the latest Studio 804 project that will provide temporary noncongregate housing for many folks who need it.
August Rudisell/@KsScanner
Analysis: Downtown Master Plan draft proposes a few big changes, but skirts critical local issues
The final draft of the downtown master plan suggests that such landmark buildings as the post office, the U.S. Bank building, Replay Lounge and the former Journal-World printing plant could be torn down or redeveloped, but it is all but silent on how to deal with such key local issues as affordable housing, homelessness, aging of the population, soaring vacancy rates and the fallout from COVID-19.
Kansas housing crisis squashing opportunity for lower-income homebuyers
A virtual forum on housing issues in Douglas and Shawnee counties is set for May 19.
Lawrence, Douglas County have opportunity for millions in funding to help end homelessness
Lawrence has a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity for funding to combat homelessness and houselessness, according to a state official.
KDADS
Virtual summit to address homelessness in Lawrence and Douglas County
A summit to be held virtually Wednesday and Thursday, with the theme of “Challenge Meets […]
Ryan Desch: Shortage of single-family homes in Lawrence is cause for alarm (Column)
“It may sound like hyperbole at first, but if the current real estate trends in Lawrence continue at the current pace, soon it may be nearly impossible to buy a single-family home in Lawrence for less than $200,000,” Ryan Desch writes.
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