photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Construction is underway for the new Pallet 24 cabins behind the Lawrence Community Shelter.

The Lawrence Community Shelter’s new prefabricated Pallet cabins will be assembled starting next week and will open next month, the shelter’s leader says, and that means that camping will soon not be allowed in public spaces in the city of Lawrence.

Pallet 24, which consists of 24 prefabricated, 64-square-foot cabins behind LCS’ main building at 3655 E. 25th St. are expected to open on Friday, Sept. 12, for use as low-barrier, pet-friendly shelter. The units are from Pallet, the same company that produced the shelters for The Village, a complex of 50 of the prefabricated cabins on North Michigan Street.

Pallet 24 was originally scheduled to open next week, on Aug. 15, but there have been some delays. James Chiselom, the executive director of LCS, told the Journal-World that the delays stemmed from how long it took to obtain building permits for the project. but on Monday, the shelters will arrive at LCS to start being assembled.

The project will add 48 more beds to LCS; each cabin will have two beds, air conditioning, heating and lighting. No water will be in the units; rather, LCS will have two restroom trailers with showers, Chiselom said.

Once the new shelter beds open, camping will no longer be allowed in public spaces. City ordinance prohibits people from camping on public property when adequate overnight shelter is available, and that will be the case when Pallet 24 becomes operational. Violating the no-camping ordinance by sleeping, storing belongings or living on public property can result in up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.

Chiselom said the Pallet 24 development would not only allow LCS to host more people, but also to better meet the diverse needs of individuals during their stay. The people who will be staying in Pallet 24 will stay on a night-by-night basis.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Currently, the individuals staying at the Lawrence Community Shelter on a night-by-night basis stay inside the warehouse of the facility.

“We have people that don’t want to live in the shelter 24/7, and they want a place to sleep overnight, and so we’ll have that in our night-by-night program,” Chiselom said. “… People are different. They have different wants and needs, and sometimes, if you only provide shelter one way, you are only able to provide options for a small selection of people.”

Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all model, Chiselom said it was important to give people a choice.

“By expanding the amount of options we have, we believe more people will accept different options, and then we’ll build relationships and provide services and get to know who they are, what their needs are, and we believe that’s how we’re going to be able to help more people become ready to be housed,” Chiselom said.

LCS has also been working to accommodate people who are spending time at the shelter to take advantage of its services and staff to transition into housing, and Chiselom said these people can be participating in the 30-day or 90-day programs.

He said people in that time could be in the process of getting their IDs and access to job opportunities. Others may have jobs, but may not have been able to save money because they’ve been living night-by-night.

“So in 30 days, what can we do to help you be where you can be housed?” he said. “… If it doesn’t work in 30 days, maybe you need our 90-day program.”

Chiselom said currently, the people sleeping on a night-by-night basis are sleeping inside LCS’ warehouse area in the main building, and it isn’t climate-controlled. The area also accommodates people planning to stay at the shelter longer than just the night, and Chiselom said he hopes to add “step-up beds” – two-level bed systems designed to provide greater privacy along with storage and possibly even an electronic charging area for each person.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Construction is underway for the new Pallet 24 cabins behind the Lawrence Community Shelter.

In addition, once the Pallet 24 project is up and running, he said the focus will be expanding the bathrooms in the warehouse area; currently there are two bathrooms with showers, and he wants to add one more.

“Because my belief, if I can have people getting comfortable living better, they’ll want that for themselves,” Chiselom said. “They might have the motivation to do a little bit more instead of less … I just want to inspire them to do it by what we’re showing them.”

Misty Bosch-Hastings, director of the city’s homeless solutions division, told the Journal-World via email that the purpose of Pallet 24 is to fill a “critical gap in low-barrier shelter options.”

The other two shelters are the main LCS facility and The Village, and neither fills that niche. The Village prioritizes vulnerable groups such as veterans, the elderly, women without children emerging from domestic violence situations and individuals with disabilities who require specialized support and care.

“While The Village serves individuals who meet certain eligibility criteria, and the Lawrence Community Shelter provides a congregate setting, not everyone can access or tolerate those environments – particularly individuals with behavioral health conditions or trauma histories,” Bosch-Hastings said in the email.

In advance of Pallet 24’s opening, Bosch-Hastings said there was still a lot of work for the HRT to do. The team continues daily engagement with unsheltered individuals in preparation for the opening.

The HRT provides outreach as well as one-on-one case work for individuals and holds monthly events in partnership with other service providers, Bosch-Hastings said. She said the most recent event, which was held on Monday, focused on resource navigation, coordinated entry assessments and logistical planning support to smooth transitions into the cabins.

“We are currently assisting individuals in smaller encampments, such as the one near Centennial Park and approach each closure with compassion and intention,” she said via email. ” … On average, our team develops return plans for approximately four individuals per week. This work involves far more than simply handing out a bus ticket. We strive to ensure that individuals are returning to a safe and supportive environment.”

Chiselom said the goal of the Pallet 24 project isn’t to persuade people to choose the shelter over staying in a camp. Instead, it’s meant to provide a place that can serve anyone with nowhere else to go — whether they want to use the shelter’s other services or simply to have a place to stay.

“We have people inside, but they’re not doing anything,” Chiselom said. “I don’t want to say you have to do things because you’re here, because no, we will provide the service to you because you need it for what you want to do. It’s easier for us to help them than it is for us to tell them what we want them to do. I just want them to be safe and live.”

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Lawrence Community Shelter is pictured in August 2025.