The City of Lawrence is planning to open a village of shelters for people experiencing homelessness Monday, soon end support at the sanctioned North Lawrence campsite, prohibit camping in that area and establish an office for police officers who will patrol downtown full time. A two-page report in the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting agenda for Tuesday, March 19 lays out staff members’ plans in a bit more detail on all the planned changes. The report does not ask for the commission to vote to approve any plans. The Lawrence Community Shelter will operate the Village, a community of 50 cabin-like structures on North Michigan Street for people experiencing homelessness. People will start moving into those shelters on Monday, March 18. Construction at the site has been complete for months, but the shelter needed to hire enough staff members to manage it. The city has previously said that veterans, older people, women emerging from domestic violence situations and people with disabilities who require specialized support and care were among the people the Village would aim to serve. It was less clear from Tuesday’s meeting agenda whether more vulnerable people would be given priority to move in. The first guests who will move in at the Village are all people who reside in the city-sanctioned camp in North Lawrence, which the city dubbed Camp New Beginnings, followed by others who stay in nearby camps, according to the report.
Source: The Lawrence Times
