City Commission Approves $100K

March 7, 2012 by Chad Lawhorn in the Lawrence Journal-World
Lawrence city commissioners approved an unbudgeted $100,000 worth of funding to the Lawrence Community Shelter after hearing the homeless shelter was in a “crisis” situation. Read More >>

"Homeless" is the wrong word.

Our guests are not homeless by choice. They are not lazy. They are ill. Or they have lost their jobs and their homes. Or they are victims of family illness. They are the least fortunate in our community and we need to help them.

Our guests suffer from mental illness, addiction and temporary financial crisis. More than half are families. Sixteen children sleep shoulder-to-shoulder on mats on the floor every night, because we are cramped and need more space. More than 200 volunteers help these guests every day, in large and small ways, but we need more space.

The new building will allow us to provide beds for families, private space for guests and social workers, and enough room for our back-to-work program. The new building is nothing fancy. It's a warehouse. But it is clean and safe. And with your help, we will own it in time for winter, when more people need shelter than the rest of the year. The new site will allow us to keep the miracles coming for more than 100 Lawrence residents who have no where else to turn.

Background
The Lawrence Community Shelter began in 1997 with the part time Drop-In Center as a morning place for people experiencing homelessness to find some daily living services. The Lawrence Open Shelter started in 2003 with limited nighttime sleeping space. At the beginning of 2005 the two operations merged into the Lawrence Community Shelter, Inc. (LCS). Each of these projects was developed in response to community needs at the time for emergency shelter space and services. In subsequent years, programs have been planned and added for Housing, Jobs, Benefits, and Intervention, within limited means and space, to enhance the "path to a positive future" for shelter guests.

Today, the Lawrence Community Shelter serves over 100 families and individuals in the day and night shelter. The main building has a capacity of 75; some excess capacity guests sleep in neighboring churches but sometimes still others must resort to the streets. Each night there are small children sleeping on thin mats in the family area. Case management programs with goals and outcomes are offered to all individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The LCS collaborates with all agencies and referrals in Lawrence and Douglas County, including the Coalition for Homeless Concerns, the Community Commission on Homelessness, and the Interfaith Initiative to bring the most resources possible to bear on the individual case and community wide issue of homelessness.

The Need
The most recent reliable census of the homeless population in Lawrence in January 2011 showed 226 people experiencing homelessness in Douglas County. Of this number, 157 were adults, 69 were minor children, and 42 were chronically homeless (33 single adults; 9 family members in 3 households).

The Drop-In serves a simple breakfast five days a week where most people have to stand while eating. There is only one washer/dryer and one guest telephone. There are 19 long term storage lockers with a constant waiting list. Storage of personal items is a major concern for people experiencing homelessness. Case managers, interns, Kansas Legal Services are other collaborating agencies juggle private conversations with guests and other meetings and projects in two small shared offices. The night shelter is always full with a waiting list. Selection for night space is by lottery everyday at 6:30 pm.

The Lawrence Community Shelter is often the place of last resort for individuals dealing with mental illness and substance abuse. Lawrence, at this time, lacks sufficient supportive housing and detox or rehab programs for these most difficult individuals.

There is no where else -- other than the streets or jail -- for these folks to go.

The Response
Relocation of the Lawrence Community Shelter will provide critical space to house individual guests and to offer improved programs fitting with Lawrence's vision to reduce chronic homelessness in our community.

The new site will provide:

• space for strengthened case management (intake, assessment, goal setting, evaluation), increased privacy and office space, and rooms for collaborating programs such as Kansas Legal Services and Heartland RADAC (Regional Alcohol and Drug Assessment Center)
• expansion of the four basic LCS programs: housing, employment, benefits, intervention (substance abuse and mental health)
• bed spaces, sick and inebriate rooms
• the emergency shelter part of the Housing for the Homeless Vision
• administration, staff, and volunteer work areas
• showers, laundry, and storage
• dining and kitchen space
• increased job training and growth of the Good Dog! Biscuits and Treats entrepreneurial employment program
• safety and security

The new facility addresses community wide efforts to reduce chronic homelessness in Lawrence and Douglas County. It will be a modest but high quality center of resources, security, and programs for people experiencing homelessness.

The Lawrence Community Shelter has been designated by Lawrence's Community Commission on Homelessness to be the sole emergency shelter as soon as it moves into a larger, fully adequate building for the required housing and program needs.