Kalamazoo homeless encampment cleared out at site of future brewery

The type of homeless encampment that was cleared out on the future site of a brewery along the city's downtown riverfront is nothing new in Kalamazoo, officials say.

Public safety officers had approached homeless people camping in woods on the northeast edge of downtown Kalamazoo about a month ago, telling them they could not stay, Brian Uridge, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety assistant chief, said. Officers offered information on local resources to help them and about two weeks later city crews went in and dismantled the camp.

"Our goal is obviously not to go in and take enforcement action," Uridge said. "Our goal was to work with the people that were in that situation and hopefully offer them services."

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/08/homeless_encampments_not_a_new.html