Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan's Second Wave's On the Ground Kalamazoo series.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Kalamazoo is known as a community with a big housing heart, demonstrated by the tireless work of many individuals, organizations, and nonprofits, along with the passage of a historic housing millage. Most residents would likely say they are aware of the issues facing the unhoused in the community. But how many of us know their personal stories?

Actors took the stage in Kalamazoo recently to share documented stories of local unhoused people as part of Reclamation & Testimony: A Staged Reading on Homelessness and Housing Insecurities, sponsored by the Institute of Public Scholarship.

The evening, which drew a large crowd to the Crawlspace Eviction Theatre in the Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition Building, offered powerful and moving oral testimony of the lives of those who have experienced or continue to experience homelessness. As promoted, the cutting-edge project was designed to provide an opportunity for deep listening, empathy, and ideally, action, according to organizers. 

The Feb. 20  event was organized as a staged reading by actors followed by a discussion with a panel of individuals who are unhoused, previously unhoused, or experiencing housing insecurity. The play, developed in collaboration with the Ampersee Advisory Team (more on them below), aimed to stay as true to the interviewees' stories as possible, without becoming what Dr. Michelle Johnson, Co-founder and Executive Director of The Institute, calls a “mining project, not pulling stories out and creating whatever they want.” 

The evening featured monologues, scenes, and piano interludes. Five different actors took on the emotional scripts and brought to life the real stories of homelessness and housing insecurity that occur in Kalamazoo. The audience was transfixed by the often extremely heavy content, leavened with lighthearted moments, which included stories of substance use, domestic violence, mistreatment due to mental health, and issues related to physical disabilities.

Spearheaded by Arizsia Staton, a Contracted Creative Director for various projects at The Institute, the event was a couple of years in the making. Staton is a seasoned theater professional with over 17 years of experience and a passion for storytelling and community engagement.

The process of developing the script was both challenging and deeply moving, Staton says. Hundreds of personal stories were gathered. Staton was careful in her approach, ensuring that the narratives remained authentic and that the storytelling process was not exploitative. Staton says she was careful to “not create anything fictional to impact how it was received by the audience.” 

“We want to start a conversation, evoke empathy, tell our stories, and be seen as part of this community,” Staton explains when asked what members of the Ampersee Advisory Team told her. The play does not fictionalize or exaggerate experiences; it remains rooted in real accounts of those who lived them.

When asked what she hopes audiences will take away from the performance, Staton emphasizes the importance of visibility. 

Casey GrootenArizsia Staton is all smiles after the Reclamation and Testimony stage reading.“Kalamazoo is a beautiful place, but it’s also very small in some ways. People can live in their own bubbles, never seeing or acknowledging the unhoused community. This play keeps the humanity of people in focus. It does not pretend that this group does not exist.”

Staton also challenges common misconceptions about homelessness. “Are you living by the way you define community?” she asks. “Do you engage with the people who are part of this community, or do you look away?”

“I’ve always been vocal about issues like racism and health equity. But this project made me ask myself: When was the last time I volunteered at a soup kitchen? When was the last time I sat with a stranger and bought them a cup of coffee?” 

"I was pushed aside like I was trash."

Several stories during the evening spoke to the complex relationships unhoused people develop with one another, particularly in encampments, as well as the challenges experienced adapting to requirements imposed by local shelters, particularly the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission which has rules and regulations that some feel are too stringent.

One story lifted the difficulty in getting proper medical treatment for a mental health diagnosis because of unempathetic healthcare professionals, which led to gaps in medication and subsequent behavioral issues. A common theme in most of the stories included portions where because of the paperwork and timelines involved in bureaucratic processes, they were given improper information to hit healthcare determination deadlines and thus were denied resources. 

One mother's story

Tamika Wilkins is one of the individuals whose story of homelessness was shared at Reclamation and Testimony. Second Wave caught up with her just moments before the play began. Wilkins says that a domestic violence situation led her to leave her home because she “was scared for their life.”

Wilkins stayed at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission for seven months but says she had issues and problems with the treatment there, a common theme among the other panelists who answered questions after Reclamation and Testimony. Wilkins did not go into detail but says that she is housed now. Wilkins stayed at Foxridge Apartments for a few months, and with the help of The Institute, was able to secure the long-term housing elsewhere.

Casey GrootenDr. Michelle Johnson, Arizsia Staton help facilitate the panel discussion.“I knew that no matter what the day was, I had to get my kids into a spot where they would feel safe,” says Wilkins. She told Second Wave that it feels amazing to see and hear her story told in this way, and it was emotional to recall where she came from compared to where she is now. 

Wilkins has also been a member for three years of the Ampersee Advisory Team, an initiative of The Institute that is comprised of a group of individuals who have experienced or are currently experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness that meets monthly.

Panel of unhoused responds to audience questions

During the panel discussion after the play, several of the individuals whose stories were shared mentioned their frustration in seeking jobs, saying it is extremely difficult to obtain secure employment, if you do not have somewhere to put your belongings while at work. Those on the panel told the audience multiple stories of robbery when they attempted to leave their items somewhere they thought was safe so they could attend appointments, job interviews, or go to work.

By far, the most common themes throughout the monologues and the panel discussion were the following:

Most people who are homeless do not wish to be and have been brought to it by circumstances outside of their control.

Casey GrootenThe panelists answered questions surrounding their stories, and their experiences with housing insecurity and resources for homelessness in Kalamazoo. A person’s desire to change their situation is only part of the battle, and there needs to be systems in place that are safe, effective, and respect the individuals which they serve.

One panelist said while addressing the audience, "If so many who have so little can step up to help one another, why can't you?"

Origins of Reclamation & Testimony

In the fall of 2021, Johnson, and her peers conducted over 20 interviews with the homeless who were forcibly removed from the encampment at Hotop and Ampersee avenues in Kalamazoo. These interviews, some of which took place just hours before the removal, highlighted the needs of the unhoused and inspired Johnson to found the advisory team and include it with The Institute's other initiatives. 

Those interviews started with a simple question, “If you didn't have to move, and could continue to live here (Hotop encampment), what would you do?” asks Johnson. 

The unhoused folks said that they wanted a self-sufficient community: off-the-grid living with geothermal heating, solar energy, communal spaces, gardens, and a sense of ownership, "something they could pass down to their children,” says Johnson. Safety was a critical concern, with residents wanting to set their own standards rather than rely on external agencies that often failed them.

Casey GrootenThe Crawlspace Theatre was a packed house.Based on their responses, Johnson says she recognized the need for long-term solutions. She and her colleagues began exploring the possibility of acquiring properties near the original site of the Hotop encampment where they could create sustainable housing. Collaborating with Kenyatta Brown, a property developer based in Detroit, they developed a 10-property mock-up plan. 

The approach was gradual — Johnson describes it as “slow forward” progress — securing funding, engaging in site planning, and ensuring that the units would be accessible to individuals well below the Area Median Income (AMI). The plan particularly targeted women who have experienced domestic violence and those who have experienced or are experiencing housing insecurity. To address these issues, the Ampersee Advisory Team was formed.

Ampersee Advisory Team seeks housing solutions

On a cold Monday in February of this year, around a dozen individuals gathered at the Legacy Building on Burdick Street in downtown Kalamazoo. 

They were there for the monthly meeting of The Ampersee Advisory Team, a group of individuals who have experienced or are currently experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness. 

The group is in its third year. The team, hosted by The Institute of Public Scholarship, serves as a space for unhoused community members to discuss, plan, and work toward solutions that directly impact them. 

To date, the Ampersee Home Start Initiative has received funding from the Kalamazoo County Housing Millage, ARPA, and other Kalamazoo County sources. The price tag is an estimated $2.1 million. The fundraising goal has not yet been met. The property has seen extensive environmental degradation, and Johnson says “an aggressive stance” has been taken on soil remediation- removing contaminated soil and replacing it with clean, safe ground.

The initiative is a collaborative effort between The Institute and Playground, Johnson’s development company. While Playground handles infrastructure and property development, The Institute focuses on "soft services" — cultural land stewardship, and ensuring the preservation of historically, culturally, and environmentally significant land.

Although the topic of The Ampersee Advisory Team’s meetings is typically the housing initiative, the most recent meetings were dedicated to the Reclamation and Testimony event. Second Wave was invited into one of the advisory’s meetings to get a feel for how the group ran. 

Casey GrootenArizsia Staton is interviewed about the experience after the Reclamation and Testimony event. As team members entered the space, it was clear from the warm greetings that many of them knew each other, and might even be old friends. The room filled up with conversations and backpacks, the rustle of snacks, cell phone music or videos, and even the laughter of one of the member's children. Staton facilitated the meeting. Staton is the one who combed through hundreds of pages of the Ampersee and Hotop interviews to develop a script for the stage.  

Before the performance, at the advisory meeting Second Wave attended, Staton took time to walk the team through the details of the performance venue, helping them envision how the space would be set up. Staton encouraged members to voice their preferences on seating arrangements, table placement, and other logistical details. The level of engagement was high, and every decision felt like a collective effort. For many in the room, this was not just a performance but a deeply personal opportunity to be seen and heard.

Beyond the play

The Ampersee Advisory Team continues its work on multiple fronts. One significant initiative is the Young Scholars Program, which emerged in response to needs identified during early advisory meetings. Financial preparedness is also a key focus, with The Institute collaborating with Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services to help unhoused individuals prepare for homeownership in non-predatory ways. Getting a house is not a one-and-done situation, there are bills and upkeep to consider, and dealing with these challenges is a set of skills that in many cases, can be taught. 

“The arts have this incredible transformative possibility,” says Johnson. This play, along with the broader efforts of The Institute of Public Scholarship and the Ampersee Advisory Team, stands as an effort to create the kind of community that all people deserve. As Johnson put it during the Reclamation and Testimony Q&A, “The humanities ask big questions, but they also offer big answers.”

The Ampersee Home Start Initiative is on its way to achieving its goal, but it still needs help. You can donate to the initiative here.