Activists Occupy Building Near Houseless Encampment
Update: This story has been updated. It is the understanding of The Kalamazoo Call that the property occupied is no long owned by the Kalamazoo County Land Bank.
Kalamazoo, MI — Members of Kalamazoo’s houseless community and the local group No One Needs To Sleep Outside Kzoo (NONTSO) occupied a vacant property on Mills St. on Friday, Jan 29. In a statement the group claimed it would “will continue to hold the space until the City of Kalamazoo and the The Kalamazoo County Land Bank provides permanent and supportive house for the growing un-housed population”. However, by the late afternoon KDPS forced the occupiers to vacate the building.
The property, the previous home to Merchant’s Publishing, is situated just a stone’s throw from one of the two houseless encampments on the Kalamazoo River. According to the press release issued by NONTSO, the building has been vacant since 2012 and is owned by the Kalamazoo County Land Bank. However this has not been verified by The Kalamazoo Call and it is believed the property was recently sold.
The group criticizes both the City of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo County’s housing policies that prioritize “profit over human lives”. They specifically call out the decision to demolish vacant properties (similar to the occupied Merchant’s Publishing building) and replacing them with inadequate ‘affordable’ housing. This similar to the criticism reported from the camps by The Kalamazoo Call in December.
The encampment near the building experienced multiple explosions last week after an accident involving gas tanks, only one person was injured. However the incident only further highlighted, in dramatic fashion, the dangers experienced by those at the camps as they struggle to maintain warm in falling temperatures.
Donations to NONTSO can be sent via CashApp to $NONTSOKZ
In their statement announcing the occupation, NONTSO said the action is “to call out the City of Kalamazoo for their neglect and ineptitude in regards to finding permanent and emergency shelter for houseless people during a pandemic, economic crisis, and plummeting winter temperatures.”
“We demand that City, County, and Land Bank stop prioritizing profit over human lives, and address the plight of our community members most at risk now. Everyday the politicians, developers, and 501 C-3s drag their feet is another day more people will be put in imminent danger, lives have been and will continue to be lost until until the issue of shelter for un-housed people is addressed. We are not going to tolerate band-aid solutions while members of our community die for completely unnecessary reasons.”
The “band-aid solution” is no doubt a reference to the recent announcement from the City of Kalamazoo, that the Knight’s Inn Motel on S.Westnedge Ave was being bought and transformed into apartments for those without homes. The project, ironically, will see those living at the motel removed from their homes into unknown circumstances during the renovation.
The City of Kalamazoo and KDPS have had a relative hands off approach towards the camps, tolerating the residents on the vacant brownfield sites for months.
However, the occupation did not receive the same tolerance and KDPS officers forced the occupiers to leave the building in the afternoon after a prolonged stand off. On the roof of the building, officers removed the banners hung by NONTSO.
Donations can be sent via CashApp: $NONTSOKZ
For updates and more information follow:
Twitter: @nooneoutsidekz | Instagram: @nooneneedstosleepoutsidekz
