Douglas County updates 'A Place for Everyone' plan; highlights 221 funded units, outreach gains and data improvements

Douglas County commissioners received an update on "A Place for Everyone," the county’s multi-agency homelessness response plan, during a work session on Feb. 12, 2026. Presenters summarized progress on supportive housing projects, data improvements, outreach and mobile health services, and identified remaining funding and service gaps.

The update said 221 housing units have funding committed for 2023–2026, including a 17-unit addition projected in 2026, with capital support coming from CARES Act, ARPA and county decisions. "That most recent addition is the plus 17 in 2026," Jill Jolicker said while reviewing committed units. She told commissioners the flexible housing pool now totals 32 units.

Presenters described work to translate needs assessments into strategies. The plan draws on two commissioned assessments — one from the KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research and another from the Corporation for Supportive Housing — and a coalition convened in 2021. Jill Jolicker emphasized that the plan is "very much a living document" and said partners return frequently to realign goals as new data and resources become available.

Data and system changes were front and center. Sarah, the county-funded regional coordinator for the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, said the community achieved "quality data" through the Built for Zero framework, implemented HMIS training for partner agencies and launched a monthly "Place for Everyone" dashboard with filters for unsheltered and elderly populations. The presenters explained how the HUD-required point-in-time count (a single-night snapshot), the CES/coordinated entry list, and a Built for Zero by-name list (a 90-day view) serve different planning purposes; the dashboard’s 90-day by-name filter showed 583 unduplicated individuals in that window.

Outreach and health services were highlighted as critical components. Kelby Sanders, homeless response team outreach lead, described an integrated peer-led street outreach model that provides peer support, medical and behavioral-health engagement, harm-reduction supplies (Narcan and fentanyl test strips) and transportation assistance. "We have reduced unsheltered homelessness by 63% over the last year," Sanders said. Jonathan Smith of Lawrence Douglas County Public Health summarized the "Wellness Wednesday" mobile clinics launched in Feb. 2024 and described a jointly funded outreach APRN who spends the majority of field time with outreach teams; Smith said mobile-clinic efforts have helped people get housed.

Speakers also pointed to operational successes at emergency shelters: Christie Shutter of the Homeless Solutions Division reported expanded capacity at the Lawrence Community Shelter and related programs, noting the system currently includes 125 beds in the main building, a 50-unit pallet-home village (90-day program), 10 medical respite units and a low-barrier Pallet 24 shelter that accommodates 48 individuals. "As a result of that, we had, through 2024 and 2025, 0 weather related deaths," Shutter said.

At the same time, presenters flagged persistent gaps. They said there is no dedicated women-and-family shelter in Douglas County and described recent staff losses tied to funding reductions, including reductions that eliminated a VA housing specialist and other peer-support roles. Presenters warned that some capital-funded projects still lack sustainable operating models; Bridal Housing Network was cited as one example where questions remain about long-term operational funding.

Commissioners pressed for detail on tenant protections and implementation. When asked how the City of Lawrence source-of-income nondiscrimination ordinance handles property-damage concerns landlords raise, Brandon McGuire (assistant city manager, City of Lawrence) said tenant-landlord contracts and existing housing-authority damage funds are used to address damages, and that the city attorney’s office manages complaint processes. Staff offered to follow up with the housing authority and city legal staff for additional detail.

Several commissioners urged that the county sustain and expand care-team supports after move-in, pointing to one case described by presenters in which a person’s emergency-room visits fell dramatically after housing plus wraparound services were in place. Commissioners recommended the supportive-housing best-practices work group examine timelines for measuring housing stability and encouraged continued outreach to counties and the state given Douglas County’s role in funding regional positions.

Presenters closed by stressing collaboration and next steps: continued emphasis on identifying diversified funding, refining an affordable-housing study and aligning a 10-year housing framework, and deeper engagement with community partners and lived-experience advisors. Jill Jolicker said the group will present the same update to the City Commission at its next meeting and provide follow-up information on several requests made by commissioners.

The work session recessed to the 5:30 p.m. business meeting without a formal vote on plan changes or new funding commitments.