City of Hillsdale Denies 'Camp Hope' Code Enforcement Extension Request
Hillsdale Community Thrift will have until 30 April to comply with zoning ordinances.
Hillsdale Community Thrift—The City of Hillsdale has rejected Hillsdale Community Thrift’s appeal for a code compliance extension, meaning that “Camp Hope” homeless encampment will have to be taken down by the end of the month.
Hillsdale Community Thrift has been granted deadline extensions on several occasions so far, most recently at the city council’s meeting on 2 December 2024, when the council extended the deadline to the end of April 2025 with some reservations.
Last month, Hillsdale Community Thrift proprietor Missy DesJardin submitted another request to further extend the deadline, but it was rejected.
The city issued its decision in a letter, which DesJardin posted online.
“Based on your request,” the city’s order says, “the deadline has been denied. Original extension date to bring property into compliance still current.”
Among the municipal code violations listed are building a “tent structure without permits” and creating housing that does not comply with state and federal housing standards.
The notice concludes, “the existing tent structure must be removed by 4/30/2025.”
Missy DesJardin, the proprietor of Hillsdale Community Thrift, told the Hillsdalian that she was “not surprised” that her request was denied.
According to DesJardin, eleven occupants remain at Camp Hope.
“I didn’t take any new people, but I still have eleven people left,” she said. “There’s no way I can house eleven people by the time the end of April comes.”
When asked about possible alternatives, DesJardin said that she is considering moving the thrift store to a new location, while using the current building at the corner of Mechanic and M-99 for housing.
“The solution is that I can have a building downtown,” she noted. “We would move our main location for the Thrift Store downtown, and we could use our facility for transitional housing.”
DesJardin said that she intended to continue the public dialogue about the issue.
“I am going to try to speak before council,” seeking “advice on how to move forward.”
Jacob Bruns
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Farming the unhoused looks profitable.... So I just pop up a hoop house, insulate it, throw some plastic on top and put my hand out to the community/government? "Tent farming" as a neighbor called it.... Much easier than traditional farming? Non profit farming? Grant farming? Traditional farming is hard, I've found it very hard to profit.... maybe I need to farm other things.... like tax dollars.... LOL isn't that how the big traditional farms make it anyway? So intelligent of a play, and so interesting.