Members of a homeless encampment on Ann Arbor's east side are bracing for eviction from the privately owned woods where they've established a self-governing tent community known as Camp Serenity.

"People are feeling pretty desperate because they have no idea where to go," said Sheri Wander, president of the nonprofit group MISSION, which has been providing tents, blankets and other supplies and support to the camp.

Wander said some members already have moved on, but there still are seven or eight people staying at the camp for now.

The property along U.S. 23 at the end of Burton Road is owned by California-based Highridge Costa Housing Partners, which is working with the Ann Arbor Police Department to have the camp cleared from the property.

"We are cooperating with police," Tom Erickson, senior vice president of Highridge Costa, said via email on Sunday. "They requested that we sign a form authorizing the police to act as our agent. They sent it to us last Thursday. We signed and returned within an hour. It is in their hands now."

Highridge Costa is considering its options for developing the property. While some have suggested the developer should let the camp stay for now, some neighbors in the nearby Forestbrooke subdivision have complained about it.

"We want to be good neighbors," Erickson said. "Allowing trespassers and illegal camping on our property does not meet that standard."

Police Chief John Seto couldn't be reached for comment.

The camp came under scrutiny last week when City Council Member Stephen Kunselman, D-3rd Ward, publicly called on the city to do something about the situation, saying it was unfair to neighbors to let the homeless camp there.

Wander, who has been staying at the camp most nights for the past month, said it's her understanding from talking with police that eviction notices will be posted at the camp soon and the campers will have one week to clear out.

She said she spoke with an officer who was very kind and understanding about the logistics of having to pack up and move the entire camp, including tarps, tents, blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, mattresses, bicycles, food and other personal belongings. Forcing the homeless to do all of that in one day while temperatures are in the 20s and 30s, Wander said, would be inhumane and dangerous.

"In the winter, it can really be life and death if you have to leave immediately and you can only take what you can carry," she said.

Another reason for giving them a week, Wander said, is because some members might get to crash on a friend's couch for a few days, and it would be unfair if a 24-hour or 48-hour notice was posted while they were away from the camp.

Wander, who is not homeless and has a room in a house of hospitality near downtown, said individual members of the camp are going to have to make their own decisions about where they'll go next, but she thinks it's inevitable that some will seek a new place to camp outside until they're forced to move again.

She said some probably will carry their belongings around with them and check into the Delonis Center overnight warming center at night, but that's not for everyone. She noted some members of the homeless community prefer to maintain their autonomy or have social anxiety disorders that prevent them from being in crowded situations, while others have dogs that they're not allowed to bring into the shelter.

"For some, the warming center is an option and the folks at the Delonis Center are really trying to make that an accessible option, but for others it's just not," Wander said.

What's really unfortunate about the situation, Wander said, is that Camp Serenity was a relatively well-run tent community where the members looked out for one another and provided a support network and held each other accountable. She fears that will be lost as the members split up and find new places to camp on their own.

She said some camp members already have indicated they're no longer comfortable camping together anymore because it increases the likelihood of them being discovered, so some are likely to go solo or move around.

"That compromises a piece of safety," Wander said. "I think it also compromises the sense of group accountability. Camping in groups can really help."

The Delonis Center's daytime warming center, in partnership with local churches and MISSION, doesn't start until January, so at this point there isn't an official shelter option during the day, except for when it dips below 20 degrees. That's when the Delonis Center has weather amnesty and opens the doors to its cafeteria.

However, MISSION operates a house of hospitality for the homeless on Stone School Road and Ann Arbor resident Peggy Lynch, one of MISSION's board members, does the same with her home near downtown Ann Arbor.

Wander said there are always going to be homeless people camping outside and the city should help make it an experience that's safe and humane. MISSION is hoping the city will allow a tent city on property MISSION owns off Stone School Road.

Wander said society has acknowledged traditional schools and traditional medicine are great for lots of people, but not everyone, and the same is true with homelessness. Traditional shelters are great for lots of people, she said, but not everyone.

Kunselman maintains that if the city is spending tens of thousands of dollars, and the county is doing the same, to provide additional shelter programs for the homeless this winter, the city shouldn't allow homeless people to camp outside.

Council Member Julie Grand, D-3rd Ward, said last week she had been in touch with Mary Jo Callan of the city-county Office of Community and Economic Development and she planned to follow up with the county's Project Outreach Team to make sure that outreach workers are aware of the situation with the camp and can help out.

"The pending eviction on Burton Road is emblematic of the complex issues related to housing and homelessness in our community," Grand said Sunday night. "In this specific situation, there is a need to balance the interests of the adjacent Forestbrooke residents, members of Camp Serenity, and the private property owner."

Grand said the city is responding by employing a combination of social services, both public and private, and law enforcement.

"In my limited research on the subject, this carrot-and-stick approach reflects current best practices for encampments," she said.

"The property owner is willing to allow sufficient time from notice to actual eviction, which will hopefully allow members of Camp Serenity to transition to safe indoor living arrangements as the winter approaches."

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com or 734-623-2529 or follow him on Twitter.