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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009
DOWNTOWN
Influx of homeless overwhelm shelter
BY DAVID UGARTE
dugarte@kansan.com
The Lawrence Community Shelter is working to find ways to accommodate an increased number of homeless in their shelter as a result of the June 1 closing of the Salvation Army's overnight shelter.
The LCS, 214 W. 10th St., has had to accommodate about 75 homeless people in the limited space it has, more than twice the number of people allowed by a city permit.
Loring Henderson, director of the LCS, said there had been a plan for the Salvation Army to close its shelter and continue to help transition homeless people to housing. However, the Salvation Army shelter closed sooner than Henderson had hoped. To make space for the extra people, Henderson said, the LCS had to hire four new part-time workers and find cooks to feed everyone. He said they also had to reduce space for job programs to allow for more areas for people to sleep.
"People are doing it in good spirits," Henderson said.
Kate Mallula, 2009 graduate, began working as a volunteer at the LCS after she heard that the Salvation Army was closing its shelter and that the LCS was in need of help.
"It's one thing to see a homeless
person on the street. It's another to see how they eat and sleep. It's an exercise in understanding." Mallula said. "It's definitely one of the more rewarding things I do with my time."
At a City Commission meeting on June 16, Fire Chief Mark Bradford said the building the LCS used was not up to code for fire emergencies. The city already granted the LCS a Special Use Permit to allow them to house about 30 people in the overnight shelter. Since then, the shelter has had to accommodate more than twice as many people, violating the terms of its permit. Bradford said the LCS would either have to expand or find a larger space.
Mayor Robert Chestnut said that the city would provide specific recommendations for expansion, but that an amended permit must go through the planning process like any other land use request.
Chestnut said the city had made available almost $80,000 in stimulus money through the Community Development Block. Grant Program to address the need for emergency housing.
Henderson said the money from the Community Development Block Grant Program would be sufficient to bring the LCS' current building up to code. He said the organization needed three estimates: plumbing work, new
emergency sprinklers and an emergency exit.
At the June 16 City Commission meeting, several downtown business owners told the mayor and city commissioners that the location of the shelter was hurting their businesses.
Henderson said the shelter was most packed with Lawrence's homeless population at night. People who want to stay overnight must check in between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Chestnut said the Community Commission on Homelessness, put together by a previous commission to address homeless issues, recognized that the current proximity to downtown was not ideal for a number of reasons, including its location. The CCH suggested constructing one emergency shelter that would house about 75 individuals.
"I definitely think that a new space needs to be found," Mallula said. "I think this whole idea of 'not in my backyard' is a little far-fetched."
Chestnut said the city must move quickly to locate a permanent site because of the stress the existing location was placing on downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. The challenge will be finding the right location, he said.
— Edited by Jesse Rangel
LAWRENCE
BY ANNIE VANGSNES avangsnes@kansan.com
Operations Supervisor Kathy Richardson said it was a popular program for Lawrence residents who either couldn't afford supplies or were "believers of reduce, reuse, recycle."
Facility offers free recycled products
In one quick trip, students and Lawrence residents can take advantage of free paint and other household cleaning supplies while also disposing of hazardous waste.
Before dropping off waste or "shopping," residents must make an appointment. When people drop off usable products such as paint, cleaning supplies or motor oil, it is stocked on the shelves in a separate building.
The City of Lawrence/Douglas County Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 711 E. 23rd St., accepts products that are considered dangerous to the environment. It also offers a service that allows people to take usable leftover supplies and paint for free.
Roy Wimmer, Lawrence resident, is a computer-aided design technician who has been unemployed for almost a year. He had looked at paint elsewhere but said it cost $40 for 15 gallons. Wimmer needed about 45 gallons, and said that it
Richardson said the reuse program was a good way for citizens and the city to save money and recycle. She said the city saved because it had less waste to dispose of through its contractor.
"It's win-win for everybody," Richardson said. "We don't have leftovers to take care of"
Parris said she hadn't seen many students use the program and thought one reason was because many landlords won't let renters paint. She said another reason could be that renters didn't usually do the repairs on their houses.
would have been too expensive.
Wimmer said he had known about the reuse program for several years, but that this was the first time he had used it. He said he used to think he should let other people use it who needed it more than him.
Tammy Parris, waste reduction and recycling specialist, said she had seen more people using the program since the recession.
Wimmer found his 45 gallons of paint for his house and disposed of his old car fluids in the same trip.
"My dad always told me that it's better to give than receive," Wimmer said. "Well now I'm receiving, but I'd rather be giving."
Edited by Hannah DeClerk
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