Take Back the Land

Last updated

Take Back the Land is an American organization based in Miami, Florida, devoted to blocking evictions, [1] and rehousing homeless people in foreclosed houses. [2] [3] Take Back the Land was formed in October 2006 to build the Umoja Village shantytown on a plot of unoccupied land [4] to protest gentrification and a lack of low-income housing in Miami. The group began opening houses in October 2007 [5] and moved six homeless families into vacant homes in 2008. [2] By April 2009, the group had moved 20 families into foreclosed houses. [6] As of November 2008, the group had ten volunteers. [7] Take Back the Land volunteers break into the houses, clean, paint, and make repairs, change the locks, and help move the homeless families in. They provide supplies and furniture and help residents turn on electricity and water. Though the occupations are of contested legality, as of December 2008 local police officers were not intervening, judging it to be the responsibility of house owners to protect their property or request assistance. [3]

Contents

Advocacy

The group advocates for changes in governmental housing policy. [4] Max Rameau, the homeless advocate running the program, called it "morally indefensible to have vacant homes sitting there, potentially for years, while you have human beings on the street". [2] Rameau says that the group only moves families into government- or bank-owned properties, and argues that it is not fair for the banks to be receiving government bailouts while keeping these assets. [8]

Tactics

Rameau states that having people occupy the buildings helps the owners by preventing looting and property destruction that he says would likely happen to unoccupied buildings. [8] [9] He also says that the group requires that tenants get electricity and provides solar panels if the electricity does not work. [8] Take Back the Land activists help maintain and clean the yards of the squatted houses, and they give the families cleaning supplies and furniture. [9] The group gains access to unoccupied houses, paints and cleans them, changes the locks, and connects electricity and water. [10] Rameau says each occupation costs the group $200. [11] Take Back the Land instructs tenants of the houses to occupy the houses openly; they enter and leave through the front door, pay for utilities in their own names, and are honest with neighbors. [7] The families live in the houses they occupy until they either save up enough money to afford to pay for housing or are forcibly evicted by police. [2]

The group maintains a waiting list of families who would like to move into foreclosed homes. [10] Rameau says tenants are carefully chosen in order to avoid creating crack houses; drug addicts are rejected, and participants are assessed for their "urgency of need". [7]

According to Rameau, he had approached banks in 2008 with the idea of buying them for a discount price and renting them to homeless people; they seemed interested at first but he says they stopped calling him back after the 2008 federal bailout was announced. [2]

Take Back the Land uses illegal tactics. [12] The group commits trespassing [13] and tenants could be charged with crimes such as vandalism. [9] Rameau says, "there's a disconnect between the need and the law. Being arrested is just one of the potential factors in doing this." [9] The tenants are told that they may be arrested if caught. [10] Take Back the Land has a pro-bono lawyer on standby. [10] [14] Kelly Penton, a spokesperson for the city of Miami, said that the city was not taking action to stop Take Back the Land's activities stating that "it is up to the property owner". [9] As of December 2008, police had not gotten involved. [3]

Background

Take Back the Land was originally formed in 2006 as an anti-gentrification organization [4] inspired by the Landless Workers' Movement in Brazil and the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign in South Africa. [15] The group built the Umoja Village in Miami in 2006, a shantytown on an undeveloped lot in support of the "black community's right to own land". [7] Fifty homeless people lived in the village. [4] After the village burned down in April 2007, the group moved 14 of the ex-residents into a warehouse. [7] Max Rameau released a book detailing the experience entitled Take Back the Land: Land, Gentrification and the Umoja Village Shantytown. [16]

Partly due to overbuilding and speculation, Florida, and particularly Miami, have been affected by the housing crisis in the late 2000s recession. [3] In September 2008, Florida had the second highest rate of foreclosures in the country. [3]

Take Back the Land moved the first family into an unoccupied house on October 22, 2007. [7] By November 2008, it had opened up six houses, [7] and by April 2009, the group had moved 20 families into foreclosed homes. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting</span> Unauthorized occupation of property

Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there were one billion slum residents and squatters globally. Squatting occurs worldwide and tends to occur when people find empty buildings or land to occupy for housing. It has a long history, broken down by country below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eviction</span> Removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord

Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosed by a mortgagee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tent city</span> Temporary housing facility

A tent city is a temporary housing facility made using tents or other temporary structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanty town</span> Improvised human settlement

A shanty town, squatter area or squatter settlement is a settlement of improvised buildings known as shanties or shacks, typically made of materials such as mud and wood. A typical shanty town is squatted and in the beginning lacks adequate infrastructure, including proper sanitation, safe water supply, electricity and street drainage. Over time, shanty towns can develop their infrastructure and even change into middle class neighbourhoods. They can be small informal settlements or they can house millions of people.

Equity stripping, also known as equity skimming, is a type of foreclosure rescue scheme. Often considered a form of predatory lending, equity stripping became increasingly widespread in the early 2000s. In an equity stripping scheme an investor buys the property from a homeowner facing foreclosure and agrees to lease the home to the homeowner who may remain in the home as a tenant. Often, these transactions take advantage of uninformed, low-income homeowners; because of the complexity of the transaction, victims are often unaware that they are giving away their property and equity. Several states have taken steps to confront the more unscrupulous practices of equity stripping. Although "foreclosure re-conveyance" schemes can be beneficial and ethically conducted in some circumstances, many times the practice relies on fraud and egregious or unmeetable terms.

City Life/Vida Urbana commonly known as "City Life," is a social justice group in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1973, a group of local residents and activists with roots in the civil rights, feminist and anti-Vietnam War movements founded the Jamaica Plain Tenants Action Group, now City Life/Vida Urbana. Since 2008, City Life has focused on preventing evictions of both former owners and renters resulting from a rise in foreclosures. City Life/Vida Urbana is currently based in Jamaica Plain, with satellite memberships in East Boston, Brockton, Lynn, Quincy, and Worcester.

The Umoja Village shantytown was founded on October 23, 2006, in the Liberty City section of Miami, Florida, in response to gentrification and a lack of low-income housing in Miami. The name Umoja is Swahili for "unity", hence "Unity Village".

The Frances Street Squats were a set of six squatted houses, including one women-only building, that existed between February and November 1990 in Vancouver, Canada. They were occupied by SAVE and took a stand against development which was generally supported by local people. The Vancouver Police Department evicted the buildings.

This article is a subordinate article to the subprime mortgage crisis. It covers some of the miscellaneous effects of the crisis in more detail, to preserve the flow of the main page.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project No One Leaves</span> American non-profit organization

Project No One Leaves (PNOL) is a Boston non-profit tenants' rights organization which provides legal education to people living in foreclosed homes to enable them to understand and protect their legal rights. The group was established in 2008 by members of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau who specialized in housing law in response to a perceived spike in foreclosures and mass evictions in low-income Boston neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in England and Wales</span> Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings in England and Wales

In England and Wales, squatting – taking possession of land or an empty house the squatter does not own – is a criminal or civil offence, depending on circumstances. People squat for a variety of reasons which include needing a home, protest, poverty, and recreation. Many squats are residential; some are also opened as social centres. Land may be occupied by New Age travellers or treesitters.

In the United States, squatting occurs when a person enters land that does not belong to them without lawful permission and proceeds to act in the manner of an owner. Historically, squatting occurred during the settlement of the Midwest when colonial European settlers established land rights and during the California Gold Rush. There was squatting during the Great Depression in Hoovervilles and also during World War II. Shanty towns returned to the US after the Great Recession (2007–2009) and in the 2010s, there were increasing numbers of people occupying foreclosed homes using fraudulent documents. In some cases, a squatter may be able to obtain ownership of property through adverse possession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupy Homes</span> Housing activist movement in 2010s United States

Occupy Homes or Occupy Our Homes is part of the Occupy movement which attempts to prevent the foreclosure of people's homes. Protesters delay foreclosures by camping out on the foreclosed property. They also stage protests at the banks responsible for the ongoing foreclosure crisis, sometimes blocking their entrances. It has been compared to the direct action taken by people to prevent home foreclosures during the Great Depression in the United States.

CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center was a neighborhood organization and squatted community center in New York's East Village between 1979 and 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Australia</span> Occupation of land or buildings in Australia without permission of owner

Squatting in Australia usually refers to a person who is not the owner, taking possession of land or an empty house. In 19th century Australian history, a squatter was a settler who occupied a large tract of Aboriginal land in order to graze livestock. At first this was done illegally, later under licence from the Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red House eviction defense</span> Site of eviction protest in Portland, Oregon in 2020

The Red House eviction defense was an occupation protest at a foreclosed house on North Mississippi Avenue in the Humboldt neighborhood in the Albina district, a historically Black district of Portland, Oregon, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Estonia</span> Overview of the squatting in Estonia

Squatting in Estonia is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. It is a tactic used by different groups including former factory workers, homeless people, artists and anarchists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Angola</span> Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings in Angola without permission of owner

Squatting in Angola occurs when displaced peoples occupy informal settlements in coastal cities such as the capital Luanda. The Government of Angola has been criticized by human rights groups for forcibly evicting squatters and not resettling them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squatting in Taiwan</span> Illegal occupation of property in Taiwan

Squatting in Taiwan is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. Squatting was fuelled by migrants from China from the 1950s onwards and in addition cities such as the capital Taipei were swelled by internal migrants from the countryside. In order to create Daan Forest Park, 12,000 squatters were evicted. The informal settlement at Treasure Hill has been recognized as cultural heritage.

Moms 4 Housing is a housing activist group in Oakland, California. It was formed and received national attention after three formerly homeless Black women moved their families into a vacant three-bedroom house as squatters without permission from the owner, a real estate redevelopment company. The publicity of their occupation highlighted issues of homelessness, affordable housing, gentrification, and human rights. In January 2020, after resisting a judge's order to leave the residence, "the moms" were forcibly but peaceably arrested and removed by a heavily armed sheriff's department. A few days later, the governor and the mayor brokered a deal with Moms 4 Housing for a local community land trust to purchase what was came to be called the "Moms' House" from the owner. After refurbishing the embattled house, the group began to use it as a transitional home for homeless mothers. The actions of Moms 4 Housing inspired California lawmakers to make changes to housing laws statewide.

References

  1. ↑ Jones, Van (April 1, 2011). "VIDEO: 'This Is Not America': SWAT Team Evicts Grandmother, Community Fights Back". michaelmoore.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Jervis, Rick (December 10, 2008). "Homeless turn foreclosures into shelters". USA Today . Archived from the original on December 14, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Lush, Tamara (December 21, 2008). "Homeless advocates 'liberate' foreclosed houses". SFGate . San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Martin L. Johnson (March 25, 2009). "The City From Below". Baltimore City Paper. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  5. ↑ Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez (December 19, 2008). "Take Back the Land: Miami Grassroots Group Moves Struggling Families into Vacant Homes". Democracy Now!. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  6. 1 2 "Home sweet home? Squatters nab foreclosures". Good Morning America. April 11, 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Natalie O'Neill (November 19, 2008). "Squatters". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  8. 1 2 3 "Interview with Max Rameau". CNN news. December 6, 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Activist moves homeless into foreclosures: Man executes bailout plan of his own on Miami's empty streets". NBC News. Associated Press. December 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Tristram Korten (May–June 2008). "Foreclosure Nation: Squatters or Pioneers?". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  11. ↑ John Leland. "With Advocates' Help, Squatters Call Foreclosures Home". New York Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  12. ↑ Channel 10 News. "Homeless find shelter in foreclosed homes". justnews.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "Family Refuses To Leave Foreclosed Home". justnews.com. February 23, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  14. ↑ Kai Ryssdal (January 28, 2009). "Miami's homeless inhabit vacant homes". NPR Marketplace. American Public Media. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Take Back the Land in South Africa". Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  16. ↑ Rameau, Max (2008). Take Back the Land: Land, Gentrification and the Umoja Village Shantytown. AK Press. ISBN   978-1-4348-4556-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.