Contractors investigating an extension cord on the roof of a Michigan grocery store stumbled upon a surprising find: a 34-year-old woman living inside the business sign, complete with a computer, printer, and coffee maker, police reported. Officer Brennon Warren of the Midland Police Department remarked, “She was homeless. It's a story that makes you scratch your head, just somebody living up in a sign.”
The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, informed authorities that she held a job elsewhere but had been residing inside the Family Fare sign for about a year, Warren explained. She was discovered on April 23. Midland, renowned as the global headquarters of Dow Inc., is situated 130 miles (209 kilometers) north of Detroit.
The Family Fare store is located in a retail strip with a triangular-shaped sign at the pinnacle of the building. Warren described the sign structure as approximately 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide and 8 feet (2.4 meters) high, with a door that could be accessed from the roof. “There was some flooring that was laid down. A mini desk,” Warren elaborated. “Her clothing. A Keurig coffee maker. A printer and a computer — things you'd have in your home.”
The woman managed to access electricity by connecting a power cord to an outlet on the roof, Warren stated. There was no evidence of a ladder, leading Warren to speculate that she may have ascended to the roof by climbing up another part of the store or adjacent retail businesses.
"I honestly don't know how she was getting up there. She didn't indicate, either," Warren remarked. A SpartanNash spokesperson, the parent company of Family Fare, stated that 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,” Adrienne Chance said, declining further comment.
Warren noted that the woman was cooperative and promptly agreed to vacate the premises. No charges were filed.
“We provided her with some information about services in the area,” Warren noted. “She apologized and continued on her way. Where she went from there, I don't know.”
Saralyn Temple, the director of a local nonprofit providing food and shelter assistance, expressed that Midland, with a population of 42,000, requires more housing options for low-income residents.
“From someone who works with the homeless, part of me acknowledges she was really resourceful,” Temple said. “Obviously, we don't want people resorting to illegal activity to find housing. There are much better options."