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12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS LIVING ARCHIVE JUNE 12, 2026 Camp Take Notice given notice CAROLYN LUSCH Groundcover contributor The weeks leading up to June 22 were a busy time for the residents of Camp Take Notice and for the members of MISSION, the nonprofit organization that supports CTN. Having learned on May 29 that CTN residents would be evicted from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) land on which the camp had existed for two years, both campers and organizers began preparing for their response and their individual futures. One of the camp’s founders, Caleb Poirier, compared their situation to a bus going up a hill that had run out of gas. “We can effect a change if we’re in pushing mode,” he said. He was one of many to encourage the group at the all-camp meeting on Sunday, June 17. Although the campers met every week to discuss and vote on camp matters, this last meeting before eviction day was especially tense. It was also unusually well-attended, with not only campers but also members of the media and representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) looking on. Where to go Some campers, like Jackie, who has lived in CTN for a year, were prepared for acts of civil disobedience. “Lock me up, take me away,” she declared when asked about her plans for Friday. Most of the campers, however, were preoccupied with the search for housing or new camping sites. On May 29, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and Michigan Campaign To End Homelessness announced that they would work in partnership with state and local authorities to provide housing to the residents of Camp Take Notice. Funds were made available for 40 year-long housing subsidies, a figure based on the number of campers staying at CTN when the eviction notice was issued. However, the previous week boasted a CTN population of 68, and as of this story’s publication only 33 campers have been offered a housing subsidy — with others having been denied subsidies based on reasons such as veteran status, income and immigrant status. Those individuals offered subsidies have a temporary place to stay at the Delonis Center from June 21 until they find housing with the help of case workers. For campers without subsidies, the immediate future is uncertain. Some, like Sharon Bridgewater, plan on staying with family members. Others don’t have that option. “I really don’t know,” responded camper Herberto when questioned about his plans. “I don’t have any family in this country.” Herberto, a U.S. citizen and native of Puerto Rico, said that he was denied a housing subsidy because he found a part-time job three weeks before. “I still think it’s not fair. I’m willing to pay a percentage.” Some campers have begun searching for new sites to set up camp. A member of Webster United Church of Christ in Dexter volunteered to arrange rides for the relocating campers, some to clandestine locations. Campers traded leads and advice, weighing the risks of being found on private property by the police. One exclaimed, “If we get arrested, what do we do?” Why CTN? The uniqueness of the MDOT property that CTN has called its home since May 2010 is a large part of why CTN residents want to stay, according to Poirier. It is also close to a bus stop, which is critical for allowing campers to access resources and search for jobs, and is not directly adjacent to a residential neighborhood or a business district. The camp has been located at five other sites around the Ann Arbor area, but has always been evicted within a year or two. Because the current land is owned by MDOT, the Ann Arbor Police do not have authority; instead, the camp has been in dialogue with MDOT officials and the Michigan State Police. Those entering the camp step over a guardrail, walk down a mulched path into a wooded area, and after a short distance begin to see clusters of tents among the pine trees. The rumblings of the freeway recede, replaced by muted conversations and bird songs. David, one of the campers, said that he appreciated how beautiful and removed the spot was, and would sometimes sit and meditate. Many of the other campers expressed attachment to the current campsite. “I would rather stay here than get housing,” stated one camper. Another camper, Dule, agreed. “I wish they wouldn’t close this place,” he said, looking around the camp while giving a tour to visitors. “Isn’t it nice out here?” For many, community support was a fundamental element of Camp Take Notice that would not be easily recreated elsewhere. David described CTN as a place where people “can come and feel safe, get their life back together.” Sharon expressed similar feelings. “I feel really safe down here,” she said. The governing structure of the camp by was cited the Rev. Curt DeMars-Johnson of Webster United Church of Christ as a reason he became involved. He saw the camp’s weekly meetings, in which campers make decisions through a one-person, onevote system, as “manifesting the best practice of democracy.” Being noticed Camp Take Notice started living up to its name in October 2011, when filmmaker Tavis Smiley and Princeton professor Cornel West filmed footage of Camp Take Notice as part of their five-part PBS special, “The Poverty Tour: A Call to Conscience.” Members of MISSION and other camp supporters believe that this publicity may be why MDOT, which until then had been tolerant of the camp’s presence so long as they were actively seeking other locations, began making inquiries into the growing size of the camp. In response to one of these inquiries, MISSION’s board, with camper input, wrote a letter stating the camp’s intent to remain at that site permanently. Some MISSION members believe that it was this letter that prompted MDOT officials to begin making plans to evict the camp. A formal eviction notice was served on May 29, stating Originally published in the July 2012 edition of Groundcover that it would be illegal to be on the property after 12 a.m. on Friday, June 22. A representative of MSHDA, which responded to inquiries made to the MDOT office, said that “safety issues” and concerns of “surrounding neighbors” played a part in the eviction decision. A press release by MSHDA also cites public safety and health concerns as reasons for the eviction. Representatives of the ACLU declined to comment at the all-camp meeting, saying that they were still discussing options. However, during the meeting one representative explained that their case for reversing the eviction decision, if a case were to be made, would rest on those people who were involuntarily homeless and did not have a place to go after the eviction — thus making potential arrests tantamount to criminalization of status. However, the ACLU was struggling to find suitable candidates for plaintiffs. Community responses In the last few weeks before the eviction, sections of the community came out in force to express their support for CTN and the campers, and to demand that attention be paid to the issue of homelessness. On June 14, members of at least 30 faith-based organizations came together at St. Mary’s Student Parish in downtown Ann Arbor for an interfaith prayer vigil. see TAKE NOTICE next page 

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