Camp Take Notice begins clearing out before midnight eviction

Durrance is with MISSION, which stands for Michigan Itinerant Shelter System-Interdependent Out of Necessity, an organization that was helping break down the homeless encampment before midnight, the eviction deadline for Camp Take Notice.

“It’s going to take every minute until then to get it down,” he said.

As of 3 p.m., many tents and other makeshift structures were still standing in the camp just west of Ann Arbor as residents and volunteers worked in temperatures hovering in the 90s.

Signs were being painted with slogans like “Can we all get along?” A farewell rally and cookout was being put together, too.

Still, many of the camp residents have already departed to places like the Delonis Center. Other residents, knowing that the center will be too full, are trying to find friends and relatives to stay with.

“I’m going over to the Delonis for a couple days until the heat blows over, then I’ll find another campsite,” said Robert Kingas.

Kingas said he has a voucher for an apartment from the state, but that he knows it will take time to find a place.

Camp Take Notice resident Craig Kelly said that about 60 percent of the campers had already departed by Thursday afternoon.

Kelly was still helping break down the camp, but said he planned on being off the land by midnight.

“It’s heinous what they’re doing. They’re spending a lot of money to bulldoze the place,” he said.

Camp residents didn’t want to say anything definite, but did have a hunch there would be some protesters remaining after the midnight deadline.

“That might happen,” Kelly said.