Outreach Notebook March 27

Hey everyone, thanks for checking in this week. We are working on a longer form essay regarding zoning in Ann Arbor to be published later this week in a special edition of #eastannarbor with cross postings elsewhere TBA.

In the meantime, here is an abbreviated outreach notebook for Sunday March 27. Know that we will continue to report on racial equity participatory budgeting with our county organization, but for this week there are no major updates.

Speaking of budgeting, this week is one filled with anxiety and stress for houseless folks, housing insecure individuals who live among us. Our county continues to fail at meeting he entirety of need for adequate, dignified shelter for everyone in our county. This is a problem of budgeting and is not at all a reflection on those who work in our housing service sector. We have compassionate workers and admin populating several effective mission-driven non profits, e.g. Delonis Center, Alpha House, Ozone House, Michigan Ability Partners, SOS Community Services and more.

However, we never have quite enough resources to meet the level of need for emergency shelter in addition to not enough housing affordable for those making zero to disability/ SSI levels of income (~$800/mth). The gaps that are left are filled by the robust mutual aid networks in our region: MISSION, Peace House Ypsi, Mercy House, and Washtenaw Camp Outreach.

Some of the expenses balanced on the backs of working class mutual aid org volunteers and supporters number in the thousands of dollars, largely spent on hotel rooms during weather amnesty and when space ran out in private homes.

Washtenaw County emergency shelters run during the winter months by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County are closing this week. That includes the overnight warming centers, church rotation shelter, grassroots-run daytime warming center (facilitated by Sheri Wander from Peace House Ypsi).

As such, this means many will be returning to camp wherever is out of sight and safe, by nearby resources, supportive friends etc.

What can you do?

Please take a look at this post by the mutual aid org Washtenaw Camp Outreach and see if there any items listed you have on hand, are able to purchase, or if you simply would like to donate money to be used for purchase of these items, feel free to send money via Venmo @WashtenawCampOutreach

If you have questions or would like to volunteer in other ways with WCO, contact them via Facebook page messenger or washtenawcampoutreach at gmail dot com

That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading. We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t been there. See everyone next week!