City of Detroit to remove homeless encampment in Hart Plaza, make way for $2.9 million renovation project

By Ashanti Lee Seabron

(DETROIT) Beginning Monday, the City of Detroit will clear out a homeless encampment in downtown's Hart Plaza in order to begin a $2.9 million renovation project, as reported by Detroit Metro Times.

The renovation is expected to be completed by the end of August, and city officials say that temporary housing will be provided for the people of the homeless encampments.

In comments made to the Detroit Metro Times, Group executive for the Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department Donald Rencher said that the city's homeless service agencies will provide help to those who live in the encampment.

“As with any construction project, it would be unsafe to have civilians within the worksite,” Rencher said. “Homeless service agencies will provide case management and connection to permanent housing so that individuals do not end up back on the streets. It is extremely important that Detroiters knows that we deeply care about our residents experiencing homelessness.”

According to the Detroit Continuum of Care, around 10,000 people are homeless in the city. Rencher says that homelessness in Detroit has declined by 24% between 2018 and 2020, and the city is continuing to focus on providing permanent housing to those who truly need it.

Despite that focus, there are others in the city who feel that Monday's decision to remove the homeless from Hart Plaza isn't the right move for Detroit to go in.

Jewan Price of Eastside Mutual Aid gave his comments to the Detroit Metro Times, expressing his wish that Detroit would recognize Hart Plaza's homeless community.

“People go to Hart Plaza because they feel safe and protected,” Price said. “There is a community there, and that community should be recognized, and people should realize these are valid people who are there for valid reasons.”

Eastside Mutual Aid, a progressive movement dedicated to creating a self-sufficient, empathetic, and educated community, is planning a rally at Hart Plaza early Monday morning in an attempt to stop the homeless encampment from being dispersed by the city.

Despite opposition to the city's plans, Rencher says that the removal of the homeless encampment at Hart Plaza will address unsafe and unsanitary conditions in the city.

“The city’s policy is to not remove people’s personal items,” Rencher said. “There have been, however, times the city has discarded items if the items pose a public health risk, like having urine, feces, rats, or items that can drift into high traffic areas. When these conditions become known, HRD works with our local outreach teams to inform individuals of the scheduled cleaning so items in sanitary condition can be stored upon the resident's request. This detailed level of coordination between city contractors and departments, and outreach teams is still in its infancy stages, but we firmly believe that all city residents must be treated with the same level of respect and dignity.”

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