6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS DOWNTOWN A2 On September 23, MLive published an article with the headline “Real Seafood weighs leaving Ann Arbor amid aggressive panhandling, rising taxes.” I saw it shared across my Facebook and Nextdoor feeds, with sentiments asking “Who’s next?” — will Real Seafood Co. be the next Downtown Home and Garden, Kilwin’s, Red Hawk, and Ten Thousand Villages? When Ann Arbor businesses announce their closure, local media reports on it as connected to the larger trend. This article by Ryan Stanton was a little different. In the article, Kevin Gudejko, CEO of Mainstreet Ventures, said several problems in downtown Ann Arbor have him considering whether to continue the 50-year run of Real Seafood restaurant on Main Street. Gudejko told the City Council that along with rising property taxes due to the company’s ownership changing, downtown is less attractive due to widespread panhandling and plans to redevelop surface parking areas into high-rise housing. Downtown Ann Arbor is changing. Are panhandlers really to blame? Downtown leaders weigh in Oct. 15 the Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce held a panel event on “Downtown Ann LINDSAY CALKA Publisher Headlines matter — especially in an age of clickbait profit structures and a pay-per-view news ecosystem. We know that for digital news stories behind a paywall, a considerable majority of viewers only see headlines. And this headline places primary blame on panhandlers for a beloved downtown business potentially leaving the city, and cites rising taxes second. Arbor in Transition.” Grace Singleton from Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, Ann Arbor’s Economic Development Director Joe Giant, and Dylan Goings from Atomic Object spoke to the strengths of downtown Ann Arbor (vibrancy, walkability, restaurants, cafes), the lingering impacts of the pandemic, and the University of Michigan’s sway over the economy. Panhandlers — or homelessness — didn’t come up in the conversation. Parking, traffic and transportation did, as well as the extreme cost of living. Singleton urged the prioritization of Ann Arbor-based developers, who will pour profits back into the local economy instead of draining them out. Giant notably commented on the need for the City to invest in infrastructure for the “people who make a city, a city.” Which made me think, I hadn’t been to a city in the United States that didn’t have any panhandling. I haven’t been to a city that didn’t have visible poverty, inequality and homelessness. Panhandling problems and solutions It would be remiss to just disregard the concerns of people who spend time downtown, whether they come there every day for work or come to Ann Arbor once a year for a special meal. In the past year, Groundcover vendors have also reported increased conflict with panhandlers in the downtown core and Kerrytown neighborhood. In 2010, the Ann Arbor Police Department named panhandling the number one crime in the city; the same year Groundcover News was founded as an intervention to the panhandling problem. For some vendors, selling NOVEMBER 14, 2025 Downtown Ann Arbor is changing — who is to blame? Groundcover is an alternative to panhandling, a more dignified way to earn income. Others have never, and will never, panhandle — these are the vendors who insist customers take the paper once they've paid for it. Ann Arbor has a pretty complicated soliciting ordinance. What we call “panhandling” is not completely banned (it is protected legally as free speech), but Chapter 108 of the City Ordinance specifies locations and behaviors that are not permitted. It is very similar to the specifications of the Groundcover vending license and our Vendor Code of Conduct (see below). Nevertheless, Groundcover vendors have to contend with panhandlers out on the street, and have developed opinions on the problem and solutions. I would encourage City leaders to discuss this increase in aggressive panhandling with Groundcover News vendors, and the panhandlers themselves. As the Chamber panel indicated, cities are dynamic; there is not one reason why downtown Ann Arbor is changing. But if you get behind the paywall of Stanton’s article, you’ll see one dominant force is the rising rents of downtown businesses. This Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, I invite Groundcover readers to actively challenge narratives that scapegoat poor and homeless people. Narratives like the one perpetuated by this article have the potential to increase hatred and violence against homeless people, especially with a President that sets that behavior as a standard. Groundcover Vendor Code While Groundcover is a non-profit, and paper vendors are self-employed contractors, we still have expectations of how vendors should conduct themselves while selling and representing the paper. The following is our Vendor Code of Conduct, which every vendor reads and signs before receiving a badge and papers. We request that if you discover a vendor violating any tenets of the Code, please contact us and provide as many details as possible. Our paper and our vendors should be positively impacting our County. • Groundcover will be distributed for a voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for more than the cover price or solicit donations by any other means. • When selling Groundcover, I will always have the current biweekly issue of Groundcover available for customer purchase. • I agree not to sell additional goods or products when selling the paper or to panhandle, including panhandling with only one paper or selling an issue more than 4 weeks old. • I will wear and display my badge when selling papers and refrain from wearing it or other Groundcover gear when engaged in other activities. • I will only purchase the paper from Groundcover Staff and will not sell to or buy papers from other Groundcover vendors, especially vendors who have been suspended or terminated. • I agree to treat all customers, staff, and other vendors respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten, harass or pressure customers, staff, or other vendors verbally or physically. • I will not sell Groundcover under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • I understand that I am not a legal employee of Groundcover but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. • I understand that my badge is property of Groundcover and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers. • I agree to stay off private property when selling Groundcover. • I understand to refrain from selling on public buses, federal property or stores unless there is permission from the owner. • I agree to stay at least one block away from another vendor in downtown areas. I will also abide by the Vendor Corner Policy. • I understand that Groundcover strives to be a paper that covers topics of homelessness and poverty while providing sources of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. If you would like to report a violation of the Vendor Code or leave positive review of a Vendor experience please email contact@ groundcovernews.com or fill out the contact form on our website.
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