Miami’s Umoja Village makes NYT, story will stir your heart

Last month I diaried about Umoja Village, a "shantytown" settlement in Overtown, the poorest section of Miami, Fla.

Yesterday Laura Rivera at the New York Times detailed the Umoja story, describing intrinsic principles for which we Democrats suffer and which, occasionally, triumph.

"I know someday I’ll be old like her," said Mr. Simpkins, 43, who said he was an ordained Baptist minister and had lately been serving as Umoja’s unofficial cook. "I just hope that when that day comes, there will be someone to take care of me."

With 16 huts cobbled together from plywood, discarded closet doors and cardboard, Umoja is a shantytown in the shadow of the biggest construction boom Miami has seen since the 1920s. Started in October by an advocate for low-income housing, it is part social protest and part social experiment, with nightly meetings where decisions on whether to evict people or how to split up chores are determined by consensus.

Michelle Spence-Jones, left, city commissioner for the district, tried to shut Umoja down.

Spence-Jones, who’s arranged some sweeeet downtown land deals  for wealthy contributors, at first proposed an ordinance to require police permits to gather on public property.

Then she visited Umoja. Several times, it turns out.  She eventually withdrew her proposed ordinance and pledged support — though not of the sort she reserves for wealthy contributors: so far, she’s promised free city trash pickup.

When Umoja asked for a mailbox, she demured.

"That sends a whole other message," she said.

Max Rameau, a stay-at-home dad who organized the Umoja effort, is a deft strategist.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties rank as the #1 and #2 most cost-burdened housing markets in the U.S., according to one study.

Six years ago, Miami-Dade County razed a 62-unit low-income apartment building on the now-vacant site and promised to replace it. Instead, the Miami-Dade Housing Agency spread millions of dollars among its friends, who have thusfar built nothing and billed for more. A major Miami Herald investigation that’s likely to win a handful of journalism awards uncovered massive Housing Agency fraud, waste and mismanagement, a full audit was commissioned, several high-ranking administrators have been charged criminally and more may be indicted.

In 1998, a Miami federal district court ruled that homeless people engaged in "life-sustaining" acts such as eating, sleeping, lighting a fire and building temporary structures on public land if local shelters were filled could not be criminalized.

Rameaux had a copy of that court ruling in his pocket when he started construction of Umoja Village — that’s why he wasn’t arrested.

Now the Umoja community — the word means "unity" in Swahili — is depending on community support to stay alive.

Interest in the Umoja Village phenomenon is pretty widespread, and the NYT article today stirred up even more. Florida Workforce Housing Network, which has posted three front page articles on Umoja so far, was inundated by Google searches for the "Umoja" keyword today that resulted in almost 100 site visits — major traffic for the site (I am one of its principals).

Across the state, a similar village faces a less tolerant legal system. As I diaried in Jesus is a housing advocate in St. Petersburg, Fla., a St. Petersburg "tent-town" for homeless families organized by Rev. Bruce J. Wright is under orders to evacuate by Jan. 21.

I hesitate to pass on the fact that Umoja needs support — Dailykos.com has more important issues to act on, but Florida-based "Kossacks" (and progressive-minded Floridians everywhere) ought to consider helping.

Rameaux posts a web site — Take Back the Land — with all the details.

•  I'm familiar with Dignity Village in Portland

  it's been around 6 years now, started as a few tents put up by the homeless on public land.

  The direct action is so powerfull. It's real grass roots work.

  After a protracted battle with the city
  they moved from under a bridge to a more (out of the way) site

  Now offically designated as a campgound, Dignity Village is exempt from the building codes which have traditionally been used to close down shantytowns,
  and they have built themselves some fantastic places

  It's a self governing community and part of our city.

  by holder on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 04:01:44 PM PDT

  •  Speaking as a housing advocate,

    "outlaw" movements like Dignity Village (exempt from the building codes, e.g.) are where inventive new housing concepts are born, not in New York architectural offices.

    by doorguy on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 04:24:07 PM PDT

•  Don't uproot the indigent

  unless you're giving them a fair compensation--a place that is affordable for them and near to where they need to be.  Start with the "houseless" and low-income tenants, but I would not say that should be the total.

  by Nulwee on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 04:44:55 PM PDT