October 25, 2024
| Welcome to the Affordable Housing & Homelessness E-newsletter!
In this edition we’ll explore:
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| Bed Night Data Across Local Emergency Shelters through October 19 Throughout the first three weeks of October, there have been an average of 128 occupied beds nightly across the three emergency shelter locations, leaving an average of 47 beds available. So far this month, emergency shelter capacity is at 73%.The current total number of available emergency shelter beds per night across Lawrence is 175. The graph above shows the average number of individuals in beds across the three emergency shelter programs through October 19.
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Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition – what is it? The Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition (KSHC) is a not-for-profit organization based in Lawrence, KS and are a committed partner organization within the A Place for Everyone Plan. KSHC is committed to ending homelessness in Kansas through advocacy, collaboration, and resource sharing. They work to elevate awareness and understanding of homelessness, support local service providers, and promote effective policies that enhance access to housing and services. By engaging communities and fostering partnerships, the coalition strives to create sustainable solutions for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Their initiatives include providing training, collecting data to inform strategies, and mobilizing resources to ensure that every Kansan has a safe and stable place to call home. Learn more about the work KSHC does by heading to their website: kshomeless.com |
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| How can you help connect individuals to services?
The City of Lawrence has worked to develop a resource card that members of the community can give to individuals experiencing homelessness that help connect them with services. We’ve compiled a list of local partner organizations who provide a number of incredibly vital services. If you’re interested in downloading the card, please click here or on the image above. |
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| Up & coming affordable housing projects in Lawrence The Kansas Housing Resource Corporation has just announced their 2024 Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) awards. There are two projects happening in Lawrence that the City has been actively supporting since their inception. The City has worked to provide tax credits to help complete the financing these projects need in order to be viable. That means these projects can now start the development planning process and will likely start ground work in the next six months.Here are the two projects we can look forward to seeing in Lawrence:
Update on New Hampshire Street LoftsThe New Hampshire Street Lofts, an exciting new affordable rental housing development for residents aged 55 and over, is making fantastic strides. Flint Hills Holdings Group was awarded $300,000 through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund which is funded by the Affordable Housing Sales Tax. This vibrant community will feature 49 affordable housing units, including three designated for individuals with disabilities and eight live/work units, and is set to be completed by the end of June 2025. The property management team is already accepting applications and building a waiting list for seniors eager to call the Lofts home. Plus, these units will remain affordable for an impressive 30 years, ensuring our community continues to thrive. How can I track movement on affordable housing in Lawrence?Affordable Housing Advisory Board Meetings/Notes Dashboard |
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| In this segment, we’ll shine the spotlight on the initiatives, projects, and stories of our community partners. |
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| The Village’s new community building The new community building at The Village is now complete! LCS worked with the City of Lawrence to provide a community building that could become a true gathering space for residents, allow them an area to prepare and store food, provide increased accessibility, and more!See the above photos of this exciting new space!LCS Author Talks Event LCS held an Author Talk event at the Lawrence Public Library on October 23. The event featured Diane Nilan, co-author of The Three Melissas, and Melissa T, who shared her inspiring story of resilience!Diane Nilan has 40 years of experience working with families experiencing homelessness, and her co-author Diana Bowman, collaborated with the 3 Melissa’s for this stunning look at three mothers who all experienced homelessness with their children. Melissa T from KS shared her firsthand insights of family homelessness in the Flint Hills and words of wisdom for parents experiencing homelessness.The Three Melissas is hailed as the first book by homeless moms for homeless moms, and a survival guide for families experiencing homelessness. To learn more about their work, visit www.3Melissas.orgLook out for more events like this and stay up to date on LCS by signing up for their newsletter here! |
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| Collaborative Solutions Podcast Tune in to the Collaborative Solutions Podcast to connect with the stories of people emerging from homelessness to homes, service professionals, and City leaders. |
| Stay up to Date More information on the community-wide efforts to end chronic homelessness in Lawrence and Douglas County is available on the A Place for Everyone website and the Homeless Solutions Division website. |
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