Key Takeaways:
- Wayne County cleared an unhoused encampment near Michigan Avenue and Merriman Road in Westland that sat on county-owned property along the Rouge River.
- Residents displaced from the encampment have reportedly relocated to a nearby area near Venoy Dorsey Park — in the middle of a planned multi-million-dollar park project.
- While the site is now cleared, neighbors and county officials acknowledge a permanent solution has yet to be determined, raising concerns the encampment will return.
WESTLAND, Mich. — Where tents once stood near Michigan Avenue and Merriman Road in Westland, there’s now just a dirt patch and leftover trash.
Wayne County cleared the encampment — which sat on county-owned property along the Rouge River — but neighbors who have watched the cycle play out before aren’t convinced it’s over.
“Honestly, given the past, I feel like it’s just going to recur,” said Rachel James, who lives in the area.
Will the tents come back?
For years, the pattern has repeated itself. The encampment gets cleared, and before long, the tents return. Nearby resident David McPherson has seen it enough times that he’s already putting a timeline on it.
“I’ll give it a month. A month and they’ll be back over here,” McPherson said.
Still, those who live nearby say they’re hoping this time is different — and not just for their own peace of mind. Many feel a sense of compassion for those without a roof over their heads.
“They have to have an option, somewhere they can feel safe and get the help they need,” said Sarah Whitehead, who lives in the area.
How did the story unfold?
We first spotted the tents at the end of September, then flagged the county, toured the grounds and made contact with people living there. Now, county crews are mowing tall grass and hauling away trash.
A county official said the agency has been engaging with residents living at the encampment and pointing them toward available resources — but participation is voluntary.
James said the reasons people end up in these situations are varied and complex.
“Some people do it by choice; a lot of people do it because they have nowhere to go,” she said.
Where did displaced residents go?
Many of those displaced from the Michigan and Merriman site have reportedly moved down the road, setting up near Venoy Dorsey Park. McPherson said the back-and-forth movement is nothing new.
“Probably every year or two they’ll come there, move this way, move back that way,” he said.
McPherson added that the issue hits close to home.
“When I was young, about 14 to 19, I was completely homeless, no parents, no nothing. I know the struggles of it,” he said.
The new camp sits in the middle of an area where a multi-million dollar park project is in the planning stages. Wayne County said it was unaware of the new encampment but confirmed it is now on the county’s radar.
For James, the situation calls for more than a cleanup — it calls for empathy.
“I feel a lot of empathy because I’m not a judgmental person and I just don’t like to see anyone suffer,” she said.
As of now, Wayne County is still working to identify a permanent solution.
