photo by: Rochelle Valverde/Journal-World

Fencing separates the city-managed campsite in North Lawrence, at right, from the "unsanctioned" campsites at left.

The City of Lawrence has now completely fenced in the city-managed campsite in North Lawrence and is fully enforcing its “no visitors” policy, sparking concern from camp residents living outside the fence who have been cut off from access to showers and other resources. The city says those residents can move into the city-managed side of the campsite to regain access.

Since the city-managed campsite opened in October, the city has allowed people, some of whom were already camping in the area, to camp adjacent to but not within the city’s “sanctioned” site. Those residents have had access to a climate-controlled bathroom and shower trailer that was located on the site about a month ago, but that changed on Tuesday when the city adjusted the fencing at the site to create only one entry point to the city-managed side of the campsite, which a city representative said helped the city to fully enforce its “no visitors” policy.

A few people who live at the site attended the Lawrence City Commission meeting Tuesday evening and spoke out against the change, saying they’d been cut off from resources. Jennifer Adams, who has lived with a group of others in that area since before the city-managed site opened and now lives adjacent to it, said that she was told that she was no longer allowed to use the showers and other facilities that are now completely fenced inside the city-managed site.

“I’ve been there since the start of this,” Adams said. “I want to know why me and mine are being punished. We’ve always been in compliance with the city, we’ve done everything you’ve asked, and now we’re kicked out of everything. We don’t have access to food, to showers or anything.”

Tiffany Copp, who lives alongside Adams in the “unsanctioned” side of the campsite, also said that her group has always followed the city’s rules, and she felt like they were being punished unjustly.

“I am part of the unsanctioned side,” Copp said. “Today I was told that I could not have food, I cannot heat up my food. I cannot shower and cannot go talk to my friends and they cannot come onto my side either. I feel like my group is being punished.”

The Journal-World spoke with both Adams and Copp when the city opened the campsite in October. At that time, they both said they had been assaulted when camping in other areas of the city, and that’s why they preferred to camp in a smaller group with people they trusted and felt comfortable with.

Tron Turner, another resident at the campsite, said he was most upset because he felt the city didn’t seriously consider input from residents at the camp before making the decision to put up the fence. He said that instead decisions were “made for them.” He said he’s asked city leaders why there is not an advisory board for homeless people.

“The homeless people have no say of what goes on, and I feel like that should change,” Turner said.

Turner said he started a petition, called “Houseless community needs a voice, not a fence,” asking the city to take the fence down because many residents did not want to be fenced in. The petition had 81 signatures as of Thursday.

The Journal-World reached out to the city regarding the fencing, access to resources, and the city’s consultation with residents at the camp on Wednesday morning and received a response on Wednesday evening.

Laura McCabe, a spokesperson for the city, said that the city began moving the fencing that already existed around the site on Tuesday. McCabe said changes to the fencing made it so the campsite only has one entry point, allowing the city to enforce its “no visitors” rule.

“The fence was originally installed when the site was much larger, and it was no longer surrounding its current footprint,” McCabe said in an email. “It also never had a single-entry point of access, which is widely considered best practice in this type of emergency sheltering area.”

McCabe said the single entry point, combined with additional staffing at the site, have allowed the city to enforce the “no visitors” policy. She said similar to the emergency shelter that the city ran at the Community Building over the winter, the site is not open to the general public, and the rules are intended to keep residents safe, provide them privacy, and provide access to community partners who work toward long-term solutions.

Regarding concerns about residents in the unsanctioned side of the campsite being cut off from resources, McCabe said the bathroom and shower trailer has always been for residents of the sanctioned camp only. She said because the city moved the fence and will begin enforcing the “no visitors” policy, the city moved one of the Porta-potty-style toilet units to the unsanctioned area for their use. The more advanced trailers that have heat, running water, traditional toilets and showers remain inside the sanctioned area for use only by those residents.

McCabe said those living in the unsanctioned site are welcome to join the city-managed area of the site.

“We have some room left at the support site for new residents,” McCabe said. “Anyone who is camping outside the fence is invited to sign a resident agreement and begin to reside within the city support site where they have access to all support services provided by the City of Lawrence.”

McCabe said there are currently 41 tents in the city-managed site and the city estimates there are about 10 people, plus or minus a few, living in the unsanctioned area. She did not specifically respond regarding how many spots are available.

As to the city’s consultation with residents at the camp, McCabe said the city began discussions with residents regarding the changes last Thursday. She said the city understood that change is never easy.