Ypsilanti Council Member Calls for Removal of Homeless Encampment Following Residents' Safety Concerns
Council discussion follows complaints from residents living near wooded area
YPSILANTI, Mich. — A Ypsilanti City Council member is calling for the removal of a homeless encampment after residents raised concerns about safety and reported incidents in a neighborhood near the site.
Council Member Me’Chelle King said during a recent council meeting that she and Mayor Nicole Brown visited the encampment and met with concerned residents. King said neighbors expressed fears about escalating problems and described feeling unsafe in the area.
“The community is afraid of escalation,” King said. “The neighbors are afraid. They feel afraid. We have to respond because, as the people said, it’s our responsibility. It’s our land.”
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King said residents discussed concerns ranging from reports of sexual assault and children entering the woods to reports of a fire at the encampment. She also said she had heard of homeowners considering taking matters into their own hands, something she said she wanted to avoid.
Her comments come weeks after a Ypsilanti woman told Local 4 News that a homeless encampment behind her home had become a safety concern. The resident reported a bicycle theft captured on surveillance video and said she had experienced trespassing and other troubling encounters near her property. Neighbors also reported property damage and thefts, according to the television station.
King said city officials have spent months seeking solutions and discussing possible alternatives for those living at the encampment.
“We have sat at this table. We have asked for solutions,” King said.
She said she had spoken with members of the county’s PATH team, which works with people experiencing homelessness, but received information she said differed from what city officials had previously been told. King said she wanted to participate in an upcoming meeting involving service providers and county officials to better understand efforts underway.
According to King, county officials were expected to discuss potential housing options for people living at the encampment.
Despite those ongoing discussions, King said she plans to seek support for a resolution that would place removal of the encampment on the agenda for a future council meeting.
“Right now, I’m going to ask for someone to support a resolution to be on our next meeting to remove the encampment,” King said.
The city has not publicly announced whether any formal action will be taken regarding the encampment.