YPSILANTI, Mich. – A Ypsilanti woman says a homeless encampment behind her home has turned into a safety issue after a string of unsettling encounters, and most recently, the theft of her bicycle.
Michele Simmons said she first noticed people walking toward the woods behind her home nearly two years ago. Over time, she realized a homeless encampment had formed beyond a fence in the trees.
“At first, I had no problem with people living there because I understand people fall on hard times, I’m compassionate,” Simmons said. “But after something needs to change.
Simmons installed surveillance cameras around her home after what she described as several disturbing encounters with people she believes are staying in the encampment.
This week, those cameras captured a man walking onto her deck in the early morning hours and taking her bicycle.
“It’s scary,” Simmons said. “ I feel someone invaded my space.”
Before the theft, Simmons said she found people trespassing in her yard and mentioned someone trying to use her outdoor faucet.
“A guy was trying to get some water out my water faucet,” she said, adding that she put up no trespassing signs on her property in response.
Some of her neighbors say they have also noticed strange activity since the encampment appeared in the woods.
“I just noticed one day I came home and my garden hose was chopped up,” said neighbor Lillie Lamarr.
Another neighbor told Local 4 that money was taken out of their car.
Simmons said she raised her concerns with city leaders months ago, speaking at a City Council meeting in November 2025 and writing to the mayor about the encampment and its impact on nearby homes.
In an email Simmons shared with Local 4 from the mayor, the mayor replied in part and said, “The placement or removal of an encampment isn’t a decision the Mayor can make alone. There are legal processes the City is required to follow.”
Local 4 reached out to the city about this story and asked about the process for removing the encampment.
The city replied, “The city is unable to comment on legal matters.”
Simmons said she wants the city to act, not only for her safety, but also to provide more support and resources for the people living in the woods.
She fears, she said, that without intervention, the situation could escalate into something that could harm her life.
She said Ypsilanti police have suggested installing a fence, and she is now working on doing that.