photo by: Shawn Valverde

The Lawrence Community Shelter, 3655 E. 25th St., is pictured on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.

Lawrence and Douglas County officials presented Monday night their current plan for implementing Extreme Weather Emergency Shelters, including working with multiple faith-based organizations, to help potentially save lives in the winter months.

Misty Bosch-Hastings, director of the Homeless Solutions Division, and Jill Jolicoeur, the assistant county administrator in Douglas County, presented a plan during extreme weather events that can provide around 200 beds for people needing shelter.

Jolicoeur said the extreme weather shelters will be activated when there is severe weather in the forecast like when the National Weather Services provides emergency warnings such as cold advisories or winter storm warnings. Any of the emergency shelters that operate overnight will go from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Along with the Lawrence Community Shelter, which would have a capacity for 140 beds, Bosch-Hastings said some churches have reached out to volunteer space. University Community of Christ and First United Methodist Church committed to providing overflow shelter options of 25 beds each, which Bosch-Hastings said are important in the colder months.

“It’s critical to have a robust plan in place for overflow in the winter,” Bosch-Hastings said.

Jesus Community Church of the Nazarene and Lawrence First Church of the Nazarene also volunteered to provide overflow space, but the officials did not provide an exact number of beds yet.

Bosch-Hastings said Jesus Community Church of the Nazarene also volunteered to provide beds for people with pets, which allows pet owners to not have to choose between their safety and the care of their animals.

Bosch-Hastings said her goal is to have 100-125 beds available as overflow, so the city and county are still looking for other organizations willing to help out. She also said there is a “dire need” for volunteers for extreme weather shelters.

One way that extreme weather emergency shelters may differ from some forms of shelter is that they follow a “harm prevention model,” which means guests could access shelter space even if they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Jolicoeur said. That doesn’t mean all shelters will allow guests under the influence, but Jolicoeur said that model is encouraged to save lives.

Jolicoeur added the county has trainings available for organizations interested in volunteering to be emergency shelters, while Bosch-Hastings said some city staff can be provided to help monitor shelters.

The team is planning a follow up meeting to discuss the plan on Sept. 12 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.