August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Thirty people pleaded with city commissioners at their meeting Tuesday to reverse a staff decision to close the camp in North Lawrence for people experiencing homelessness. City commissioners did nothing in response.
The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday voted in favor of an ordinance change to create a protected class based on source of income, but will delay final approval in order to seek feedback from landlords.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
The City of Lawrence said Tuesday morning that people experiencing homelessness are being cleared out of the camp in North Lawrence in order to “refocus resources” to the overnight Winter Emergency Shelter.
Chansi Long/Lawrence Times
Jennifer Adams’ eyes were red Monday morning from crying off and on since Friday, when the city issued a batch of eviction notices to people experiencing homelessness at the support camp in North Lawrence.
Only about 10% of Lawrence landlords participate in housing voucher programs, and right now, people in 51 households with vouchers in hand are struggling to find housing, panelists told a crowd Thursday evening at the library.
Members of the City of Lawrence’s Housing Initiatives Division requested the city spend $8.29 million left from federal COVID-19 relief funds on housing solutions, but city commissioners stopped short of adopting that recommendation Tuesday.
Local housing experts will discuss rental problems and the shortage of affordable housing options during a panel Thursday at the Lawrence Public Library.
Just before 8 p.m. Thursday, about a dozen people stood outside Lawrence’s Winter Emergency Shelter, waiting for it to open. But some people experiencing homelessness don’t want to stay there.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Some people at the city-run campsite in North Lawrence continue to lament the loss of Susan Ford, the 53-year-old woman who died in her tent last week.
As the Lawrence community considers different strategies for a citywide response to the homelessness crisis, residents of a temporary campsite are living through the reality of the situation day to day.
