Homelessness & housing
LATEST
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Douglas County Commission to discuss new extended-stay housing for Lawrence Community Shelter
The Douglas County Commission on Wednesday will hear about a plan to convert some shipping container shelters into extended-stay housing at the Lawrence Community Shelter.
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Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Curveball decision from Douglas County Commission awards contract to both bidders for eviction defense pilot program
Kansas Legal Services and Kansas Holistic Defenders agreed Wednesday to collaborate on an eviction defense pilot program in Douglas County and provide services to tenants in the face of a “clunky” initiative rollout.
Lawrence invited to open house for supportive housing project at KU
KU will soon host an open house for Kaw House, a newly completed supportive housing project designed and built by architecture students and faculty.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Douglas County staff, some advocates divided on contractor for eviction defense pilot program
Douglas County staff want to award Kansas Legal Services a contract to run a pilot eviction defense program. Some advocates prefer Kansas Holistic Defenders because the group can represent undocumented people.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Douglas County commissioners to review plan for eviction defense pilot program
Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday will review a plan for the Tenant Eviction Defense pilot program they approved in March. If they give the go-ahead, county staff members will solicit proposals from nonprofit legal services to run the program.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
LINK community meals are now a program of Lawrence’s Homeless Resource Center
LINK community meals will continue as a program of Lawrence’s Homeless Resource Center, the HRC has announced.
City commissioners give Bert Nash more time to find path forward for supportive housing
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday voted to hit pause on clawing back $558,000 in funding provided to Bert Nash for a supportive housing project that has been long delayed.
Lawrence board reviews early results in housing study, advocates for deeply affordable options
Members of Lawrence’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board are emphasizing the need for community education on multifamily housing, more development incentives and strategies for boosting deeply affordable options in an ongoing study.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Douglas County Commission approves limited tenant eviction defense pilot program
Following months of tense discourse about tenant right to counsel, Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday voted 3-2 for a pilot program that will grant some tenants facing eviction access to legal representation.
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
Lawrence Tenants rally support for tenant right to counsel before county commission meeting
Lawrence Tenants, a citywide tenant union, rallied support at a town hall Saturday for a delayed program meant to provide legal representation for people facing eviction.
Plans for high-density apartments near KU campus headed for architectural revisions
A city board on Thursday recommended that plans to demolish five buildings and construct a 75-unit, 300-bedroom apartment complex near KU go to an architectural committee for revisions.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Lawrence tenant union town hall to discuss progress on right to counsel program
A Lawrence tenant union will host a town hall Saturday to educate and update residents on progress to establish a right to legal representation for people facing eviction in Douglas County.
City board recommends Bert Nash repay funding for housing that won’t come to fruition
Bert Nash will not be able to develop a supportive housing project in Lawrence, and the Affordable Housing Advisory Board voted 4-1 Thursday to recommend the city claw back $558,000 in funding.
Kansas bill would allow renters to pay landlords in increments, expand definition of lawful income
Kansas renters would be allowed to pay their landlords in increments under a proposal that aims to tackle some housing affordability and access issues.
Planning commissioners recommend annexing 63 acres in northwestern Lawrence
Planning commissioners on Wednesday voted to recommend annexing property west of Lawrence Nature Park into city limits for a potential housing development.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Lawrence sober living home expands beds for women in recovery to live with their children, build tenacity
A renovated historical home in Lawrence has joined Cardinal Housing Network’s transitional housing options for women recovering from substance use, this time allowing residents to live with their children.
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
Report suggests solutions to help single mothers in Douglas County
Single mothers in Douglas County regularly endure overlapping struggles to find housing, food and health care, according to a report produced by the county, KU and a handful of other local agencies.
Landlord-friendly bill would roll back Lawrence’s protections for low-income renters
A Kansas property owner wants to impose a restriction across the entire state because of Lawrence’s ordinance protecting low-income renters.
A new strategy in Olathe builds whole neighborhoods of homes that stay affordable for years
Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City is using community land trusts to build entire neighborhoods that aim to help address the state’s affordable housing shortage.
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.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
City Commission pledges tax breaks for west Lawrence affordable housing project
A majority of Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday pledged their support for tax breaks to offset development costs of an affordable housing project planned for the far western edge of town.
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Resources for renters and tenants
Tenant issues and rights:
• Read about the rights Kansas tenants have and issues that could come up before, during and after tenancy from Kansas Legal Services.
• Find more info and connect with Lawrence Tenants.
Evictions:
• Learn about the eviction process from the Kansas Judicial Branch at this link.
• Check out the self-help page on the Douglas County District Court’s website at dgcoks.gov/district-court/self-help for resources and helpful forms.
• Find the Kansas Judicial Branch’s eviction expungement portal online at this link.
City of Lawrence fair housing help:
• Find information about the city’s fair housing civil rights enforcement procedures and a form to initiate a complaint on the city’s website at lawrenceks.org/attorney/fairhousing, or call 785-832-3310.
Rental assistance:
• Apply for help from the Douglas County Housing Stabilization Collaborative via the county’s website at this link.
• Apply for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, LIEAP, at this link during colder months to help cover home energy costs.
• Find more resources to help with rent and utility payments on the Lawrence Public Library’s website.
News coverage:
• See the latest articles from The Lawrence Times on the following topics: homelessness and housing; renter rights; source of income discrimination; affordable housing; tenant right to counsel
