MT. CLEMENS, Mich. (WXYZ) — The death of a 53-year-old unhoused woman found behind a dumpster in downtown Mt. Clemens has sparked urgent calls for action as temperatures plummet to the coldest levels of the winter.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Moneque Cook was discovered early Tuesday morning by a waste disposal driver emptying a dumpster behind a building on North Main Street. She was found barefoot and unresponsive, exposed to the frigid elements.
Cook was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Macomb County Sheriff's Office says the investigation into her death is ongoing.
"Yes, right back here behind this Priority Waste dumpster. With no shoes on," said Shane Gianino, who found her.
The tragedy occurred behind Gianino's building and has highlighted the dangerous conditions facing the unhoused population as winter temperatures continue to drop.
"This really needs to be a wake-up call, because even tomorrow-tomorrow is going to be colder," Gianino said.
Mt. Clemens City Commissioner Spencer Calhoun, who is leading a newly formed task force to address homelessness, said the city has the largest concentration of unhoused individuals in the county.
"There's no easy solution to the issue of homelessness. What I do know is not another person should die on our streets," Calhoun said.
The task force will rely partly on data from the county's Point in Time Count, an annual census of the homeless population.
April Fidler, Executive Director of MCREST, a homeless services agency in Mt. Clemens, says her shelter is already at capacity as demand continues to grow during the coldest months.
"The issue is there's not enough funding to provide all the services needed for emergency services during this time of year," Fidler said.
Macomb County Commissioner Michael Howard says securing more funding is a priority he's committed to, arguing it's both compassionate and practical.
"It actually costs the county more when someone passes away in the cold or when someone is homeless on the street; it's a greater burden on the county financially than for us to step in and be proactive with our resources," Howard said.
Cook's family says she was loved and cared for, and they did everything they could to help get her back on her feet.
Here are resources for those needing a warm place to stay:
- https://www.oakgov.com/community/neighborhood-housing-development/help-with-housing/homeless-services
- https://www.oakgov.com/community/emergency-management/need-to-know/safety/warming-and-cooling-centers
- https://www.macombgov.org/departments/macomb-community-action/warmingcooling-centers
- https://www.waynecountymi.gov/Government/Departments/Homeland-Security-Emergency-Management/Homeland-Security/Warming-Cooling-Centers
- https://www.waynemetro.org/homeless/
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