Arizona State officials won't force a homeless camp for veterans to vacate an area between Loop 202 and the Salt River bed, but instead will work to assist people in finding shelter and other services.

More than 30 people who are homeless, many of them veterans, are living in tents and other makeshift shelters in an area northwest of McKellips Road and the freeway in Mesa, on vacant land held by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

For most of the past year, the camp was on land that is part of the Salt River Reservation, but tribal officials told the group it had to move, several camp leaders said.

On Dec. 6, the camp relocated a few hundred feet to its current site on ADOT property, according to department officials.

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Last week, ADOT went to the site and erected a large sign warning that trespassers were violating state law. Camp leaders said that sent a message that they were to be kicked off the site. But ADOT officials told The Arizona Republic on Tuesday that they don't intend to force the removal of people.

"The state of Arizona’s goal is assisting the veterans and other individuals in this area, located near Loop 202 and McKellips, by helping them find shelter and other community-based services. No one has been removed, and there are no plans to do so," said Timothy Tait, an ADOT spokesman, in a prepared statement.

State officials visit camp

He said officials with the state Department of Veterans' Services and Department of Economic Security, as well as Gov. Doug Ducey's office, visited the site Monday to meet with veterans and offer assistance.

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Lewis Arthur, a founder of the Mesa camp and two others in Tucson and Dewey, confirmed the state officials' visit to the camp. However, he still is waiting for more firm assurances that the camps can remain without the state interfering, and would like to have a meeting with state officials.

“When they have a cloud of uncertainty over my camps ... when you have fear and (are) using law enforcement to intimidate us, it does not help these people who are recovering," he said.

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The Mesa camp — called Alpha Camp — was established as a program of an outreach called Veterans on Patrol, Arthur said.

Camp leaders help veterans who cannot function well in closed settings, preparing them for transitions into shelters, he said. The Mesa camp also welcomes non-veterans who are homeless.

Strong community support

Joe Labuda, a camp "commander" who lives at the Mesa site, said the camp has received strong support from the community, with people regularly bringing food, water and other supplies. Mesa police and fire officials check on the camp as well, but generally don't bother those living in the area, he said.

"We recognize nobody wants to see homeless people. Homeless people aren't supposed to exist because we're America," said Labuda, who said he served in the U.S. Army for eight years. He said about 35 people live at the camp, and about a dozen are veterans.

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He said state officials who visited the camp Monday had positive interactions with people, particularly DES officials, who went "tent to tent."

Several area residents were at the site delivering food and other items on Tuesday, including Teri Cardenas, of east Mesa, who said she saw the camp while driving on the freeway.

"I said, 'We have to get down there and help them,' " she said, as she unloaded supplies with her daughter-in-law.

Arthur said he still would like to arrange a meeting with state officials and let them meet some of the individuals the camps have helped in recovering from addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues.

“We just want to be left alone and let us take care of the guys that the system can’t reach," he said. "There's a job to be done with these people and we're very good at it."

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