photo by: City of Lawrence

The Lawrence City Commission meets at City Hall on June 14, 2022.

City leaders on Tuesday heard some of the findings of a study that examined homelessness in the area as well as factors that affect the community’s ability to address the issue, including the shortage of affordable housing options and a lack of permanent supportive housing.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission received a presentation from the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research on the 2021-2022 Douglas County Homelessness Interim Needs Assessment.

Some of the key early findings of the study are that the current housing options in the community are not enough to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness or those at risk of experiencing homelessness. Owen Cox, with KU-CPPR, told commissioners that housing affordability remains a “deep concern,” as well as having enough rental assistance and landlords willing to accept rental assistance.

“Because of the lack of affordable housing in Lawrence, you’re going to need rental assistance to be available, but you’re also going to need just more units of affordable housing itself,” Cox said.

Data on housing affordability indicates that wages have not kept pace with the cost of housing in Lawrence and Douglas County, according to the report. The report states that individuals making a minimum wage in Douglas County would still find the market rate for a one-bedroom apartment over $200 higher than what is affordable at their income.

One man, who said he was currently homeless, said he’s seen new people join the area where he has been camping. The man said he wasn’t able to afford somewhere to live and cover other expenses on $15 an hour, and that he saw that as a big problem.

“We all need to understand, it’s not one man’s problem, it’s everybody’s problem,” the man said. “And the families are getting bigger out there. My area where I’m at, when I first got out there, it was seven people. It’s now 22 and it’s increasing daily.”

Other key findings included a need for permanent supportive housing options for those experiencing chronic homelessness, who have a high incidence of health problems and substance use issues. The report states that preliminary data analysis and conversations with community providers indicate that over 150 individuals would benefit from supportive housing to help them break the cycle of chronic homelessness, which includes those who experience long-term homelessness or cyclical bouts of homelessness.

Other data from the report indicates that there are demographic disparities among those experiencing homelessness. Cox said Black and Indigenous people in Douglas County experience homelessness at significantly higher rates. Cox said the rate of Black residents experiencing homelessness was five times higher than in the general population and that the rate of Indigenous residents experiencing homelessness was three to four times higher than in the general population.

Douglas County commissioned the study, which included an assessment of the systemwide conditions related to homelessness and what is needed for the county and city to attain their goal of ending chronic homelessness, according to a city staff memo to the commission. The memo states that the needs assessment aims to present the current state of homelessness in the county and to help equip leaders with the knowledge needed to make investments to address homelessness permanently. The report represents the preliminary phase of information gathering and analysis for the needs assessment.

John Krehbiel, a representative for the faith-based advocacy group Justice Matters, thanked the commission for its commitment to ending chronic homelessness and the report, but he said it was a first step. Krehbiel encouraged commissioners to use the data and information in the report to create a comprehensive plan to address homelessness.

“This report represents incredible work, with exactly the level of data we need for the next phase of this work,” Krehbiel said. “So let’s just be sure — I’m sure you will — but let’s just be sure that we don’t take this report and put it on a shelf where it will gather dust.”

The report presented Tuesday covered the preliminary phase of data collection and analysis, and Cox said the final report, which will include additional information from people who have experienced homelessness, would be out at the end of the month.

Commissioner Brad Finkeldei asked what the next step would be. Housing Initiatives Manager Danelle Walters said that once the final report was out, there would be further coordination between the city and county. Walters said she expected there would be a work plan, and that the city could set a goal to have that plan be part of upcoming city budget discussions this summer.

In other business, the commission received an update on the Field Operations Campus planned for eastern Lawrence that will house several city divisions. In October 2021, the commission voted to make modifications to the plans in an effort to address concerns from neighbors about noise, traffic, odors and other disruptions. City staff presented two design options for the campus and an updated timeline and cost projections for the project.