Homelessness & housing
LATEST
Lawrence city commissioners voice concerns about camping in wake of fire
Lawrence city commissioners quizzed city staff Tuesday on how they can take action for public safety following a fire under the Kansas River bridge that police say was related to someone’s camp.
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City Commission approves tax breaks for northwest Lawrence apartment complex
Lawrence city commissioners voted 3-1 Tuesday to approve sales tax breaks for a new market-rate, “townhome-style” apartment complex slated for northwest Lawrence.
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
Lawrence City Commission to consider tax breaks for market-rate apartments
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider a request for tax breaks on construction materials to build market-rate apartments in west Lawrence.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Get to know Majed Al-Ghafry, Lawrence’s incoming city manager
Lawrence’s new city manager, Majed Al-Ghafry, is stepping into his role with a plan. Here’s what he said about his goals for Lawrence, including transparency, the budget, housing, university partnerships and citywide inclusivity.
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
Lawrence City Commission holds off on sale of downtown parking lot for affordable housing
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday agreed to postpone their decision on whether to sell a downtown parking lot to developers planning to construct income-restricted apartments for people ages 55 and up.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Lawrence City Commission to consider selling parking lot at 7th and New Hampshire for affordable housing
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider selling a downtown parking lot — for less than 10% of its appraised value — to affordable housing developers to build housing for folks ages 55 and up with low incomes.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
New transitional housing addresses gap for Douglas County women in recovery with children
Douglas County has a gap in transitional housing options for women in recovery with their children. DCCCA’s newly unveiled duplex community aims to offer hope.
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
Lawrence needs more housing units to improve affordability, consultant tells commissioners
Consultants told the city commission Tuesday that Lawrence needs more of all types of housing units on the market in the next decade in order to increase affordability.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Lawrence ordinance meant to help people find housing will be void under new state law
A new state law will soon void a Lawrence city ordinance that has helped some residents with low incomes find housing over the past three years.
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.
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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
