A woman in Midland, Michigan was found living in the business sign of a grocery store, with police confirming the woman was homeless and had been living up in the sign for around a year
Contractors were left baffled when they found a woman living in the business sign of a grocery store above the building.
Police said the woman had enough space inside for a printer, coffee maker and computer at her makeshift home at the Family Fare store in Midland, Michigan. Found on April 23, the woman had been living there for around a year, according to Officer Brennon Warren from the Midlands Police Department.
“She was homeless,” Officer Warren said. “It’s a story that makes you scratch your head, just somebody living up in a sign.”
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The Family Fare store is in a retail strip with a triangle-shaped sign at the top of the building. The sign structure, probably five feet wide and eight feet high, has a door and can be accessed from the roof, Warren said.
“There was some flooring that was laid down. A mini desk,” the officer said. “Her clothing. A Keurig coffee maker. A printer and a computer — things you’d have in your home.”
The resourceful woman, who has not been named, had access to electricity through a power cord. A ladder was not used in making its way up to the roof and authorities believe she could have gone up there by climbing up somewhere behind the store.
“I honestly don’t know how she was getting up there. She didn’t indicate, either,” Warren said. The woman was told she was not allowed to live up there and left without incident, with Officer Warren noting the “store was going to work with her on retrieving all of her property at a later time.”
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A spokesperson for SpartanNash, the parent company of Family Fare, said store employees responded “with the utmost compassion and professionalism.”
“Ensuring there is ample safe, affordable housing continues to be a widespread issue nationwide that our community needs to partner in solving. Out of respect for the privacy for the individual involved, we will not be sharing further comment,” the company said in a statement. Officer Warren said the woman was cooperative and quickly agreed to leave. No charges were pursued.
“We provided her with some information about services in the area,” the officer said. “She apologised and continued on her way. Where she went from there, I don’t know.”
The director of a local nonprofit that provides food and shelter assistance said Midland — which has a population 42,000 — needs more housing for low-income residents.
“From someone who works with the homeless, part of me acknowledges she was really resourceful,” said Saralyn Temple of Midland’s Open Door. “Obviously, we don’t want people resorting to illegal activity to find housing. There are much better options.”
