photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

The Lawrence Community Shelter, 3655 E. 25th St., is pictured Monday, July 24, 2023.

Updated at 1:23 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27

In anticipation of dropping temperatures over the weekend, the City of Lawrence says it’s working to ensure that people in need of shelter have a way to get there — or at least a way to stay warm.

City spokesperson Maureen Brady told the Journal-World Friday that the city’s homeless outreach team is coordinating with Lawrence Transit to ensure that people staying at Camp New Beginnings, the city’s support site for people experiencing homelessness in North Lawrence, and other camping sites around the city can safely move to shelter at the Lawrence Community Shelter if they wish to do so. Brady added that the team was working Friday to visit all known camping locations throughout the city to share that information and provide cold weather gear.

That work is taking place ahead of potentially freezing weather. As the Journal-World has reported, the National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures as low as 23 Sunday night.

Brady said the city’s recreation centers will also be available as warming centers during their normal hours of operation. A social media post from the city early Friday afternoon provided more details on that front, including that visitors must follow all facility rules. Three of the city’s recreation centers — the Community Building at 115 W. 11th St., Holcom Park Recreation Center at 2700 W. 27th St. and the East Lawrence Recreation Center at 1245 E. 15th St. — have the same daily hours of operation. They’re open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Sports Pavilion Lawrence, 100 Rock Chalk Lane, is open from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.

As the Journal-World reported, the city doesn’t plan to operate a winter emergency shelter in downtown Lawrence as it has for the past couple of years, with the service instead to be provided at the Lawrence Community Shelter, 3655 E. 25th St., on the eastern edge of the city.

Lawrence Transit buses are free to ride this year as part of a yearlong pilot program. The last bus along Route 1, which extends from downtown to eastern Lawrence, departs from Seventh and Vermont streets at 7:35 p.m. each day, with passengers arriving at the end of the route just before 8 p.m., about a 10-minute walk away from the Lawrence Community Shelter. The shelter’s check-in window for its night-by-night stay program starts at 7 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m.

The Journal-World also asked the city about its plans for Camp New Beginnings; when the city began operating the winter emergency shelter last December, city staff also initially evaluated the use of the city-run campsite to determine whether it was still needed. About a week later, the city began clearing the campsite, but reversed course within days in response to concerns from people living there.

Brady told the Journal-World Friday there are no plans for closing the camp for the time being.

“We don’t have a definitive end date for Camp New Beginnings as we want to work with the people currently staying there to make their transition to (the Lawrence Community Shelter) or other sheltering options a positive experience,” Brady said. “When we do have more information on Camp New Beginnings closing, we’ll be sure to provide that.”