DETROIT – Economic hardship can be found at every corner--even outside the Wayne County Morgue. There, 67 giant freezers on trailers store a record number of unclaimed bodies because neither the families nor the county can afford to bury them.
The county said its annual budget to bury unclaimed bodies -- $21,000 -- ran out in June.
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With unemployment in the area approaching 28 percent, many people can't afford last rites when the median cost of a funeral in America is around $7,000 and cremation can cost $2,000.
The state, however, does have some funds available to assist with burial costs. For fiscal year 2009, Michigan allocated $4.9 million for assistance, and of that, approximately $135,500 remains. Those in need of assistance can find grant applications at Michigan Department of Human Services offices, their Web site, and most funeral homes.