The Lawrence Times

Kansas should scrap its de facto policy of draining the Ogallala Aquifer, a state board decided Wednesday. Instead, the board said, the Kansas government should take steps to stop the decline of the aquifer, which supplies water to one-sixth of the world’s grain supply, and save it for future generations. “It has taken decades for this to be said formally in writing by an official state body,” said Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office. “… This is nothing less than historic.” Source: The Lawrence Times

A coalition of voting rights groups says Dodge City’s election system is designed to prevent the community’s Latino population from holding office on the city commission. In a complaint filed late Thursday in federal court, the coalition argues the “at-large” election system is unconstitutional and a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The lawsuit was filed by the UCLA Voting Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, the national ACLU, and New York City-based law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton. The city uses an at-large election system, in which all city residents can vote for each of [...]

Kansas officials worry the state will lose part of its share of a $42.5 billion federal investment in broadband expansion because the Federal Communications Commission commissioned a “grossly inadequate” map of existing services. The map, released in late November, shows broadband is available everywhere in Kansas. The state faces a Jan. 13 deadline to challenge the map by encouraging residents to self-report discrepancies with it. The federal broadband investment is part of the massive infrastructure package Congress passed last year. Grant money will be allocated to states based on the need for broadband services. Staff members from the state broadband office explained [...]

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. The ordinance will likely come back in front of the commission in mid-January. Lawrence’s Human Relations Commission recently advanced proposed ordinance changes that would prevent landlords from denying someone housing just because a prospective tenant’s rent money comes from housing assistance such as vouchers, settlements, benefits, subsidies, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers and more. The advisory board had been working for about two years and researching similar [...]

The City of Lawrence has begun issuing notices to people to clear their campsites in preparation for closing a city-managed campsite in North Lawrence for those experiencing homelessness. Originally, the city estimated that the camp... would be in place until March 12, at which time the city anticipates opening a longer-term campsite in another, yet-to-be-determined location. However, the city also recently said it would be following its camping ordinance that allows camping in the downtown district only when there are no available shelter beds. The city opened the Winter Emergency Shelter in the Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., on Dec. [...]

Only about 10% of Lawrence landlords participate in housing voucher programs, and right now, 51 households with vouchers in hand are actively searching and struggling to find housing. Gabby Boyle, prevention specialist at the Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center, and Mariel Ferreiro, landlord liaison for the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, shared those statistics and context alongside other local housing experts Thursday evening during a panel at the Lawrence Public Library. Ferreiro explained that the housing authority administers transitional vouchers, which allow people to build rental history and acclimate from experiencing homelessness, and housing choice vouchers. Those subsidies provide landlords guaranteed [...]

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. Though commissioners showed an interest in plans to spend a little more than half of that total on a modular housing project, they are allowing other agencies to vie for some of the American Rescue Plan Act funds. “While I felt like a good portion of these funds should address our needs for affordable housing and … addressing issues of the unhoused, I did not anticipate us using [...]

The Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library’s lease is safe for another year, following community uproar and legal pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. The Saint Marys City Commission voted to extend the lease, without restrictions, during a meeting Tuesday night. The lease renewal was up for debate because the library had refused to accept a renewal clause asking for the removal of all LGBTQ and socially divisive books from the shelves. Source: The Lawrence Times

Local housing experts will discuss rental problems and the shortage of affordable housing options during a panel Thursday at the Lawrence Public Library. Panelists will “share their expertise about feasible policy solutions including inclusive screening practices, banning housing discrimination based on source of income, and tenants’ rights to counsel,” according to a news release from the library. “In 2020, our community identified affordable housing as one of our top three issues,” Marc Veloz, community resources specialist at LPL, said in the release. “It hasn’t gone away and folks are eager to find a solution to this crisis.” Source: The Lawrence Times

Just before 8 p.m. Thursday, about a dozen people stood outside the Winter Emergency Shelter, waiting for it to open. It was chilly, but not so cold you could see your breath. People were bundled in coats, scarves, gloves, and winter hats. Some huddled together outside the Community Building, 115 W. 11th St. Others stood alone. Among those waiting was Samuel Herrington, who said he has been homeless since 2016. “It’s the best, safest place for homeless people,” Herrington said of the WES. “It’s monitored. There’s somebody watching over you.” Source: The Lawrence Times