KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Katherine Clemens lost her Section 8 housing in November.
"At times it's really tough, sometimes you just want to give up.I was in a tent for the winter," says Clemens.
Now Clemens tent is in Kalamazoo's Bronson Park.
"There's a lot of people who are just one pay check away from being homeless," says Clemens.
Katherine is part of a homeless group who has been staying in the park for weeks. Many of these folks say they are protesting unsafe living conditions where they used to reside at Kalamazoo's Mission Shelter.
"I just don't feel safe there, just a couple weeks ago there was a fight there," says Shane Williams.
Kalamazoo's City Manager Jim Ritsema says they offered another location where the group could stay but it was rejected.
"We identified a piece of property near the gospel mission, where they had access to the mission but did not have to stay there, we offered them a place to camp," says Ritsema.
City Commissioner Shannon Sykes-Nehring believes more can be done. Sykes-Nehring got upset with leadership and decided to stay at the camp Tuesday night with the group.
"We have failed as a community, we failed as a city if I have to remind some of our residents that these people are still human, that's all it is, these people have stories just like the rest of us," says Sykes-Nehring.
Another meeting to try and find a solution is planned for Friday, Sept. 5.
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