Take Back the Land
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Take Back the Land is an American organization based in
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.
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
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[update], 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
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]
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e Jervis, Rick (December 10, 2008). "Homeless turn foreclosures into shelters". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 14, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Home sweet home? Squatters nab foreclosures". Good Morning America. April 11, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g Natalie O'Neill (November 19, 2008). "Squatters". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Interview with Max Rameau". CNN news. December 6, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "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.
- ^ a b c d Tristram Korten (May–June 2008). "Foreclosure Nation: Squatters or Pioneers?". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- ^ John Leland. "With Advocates' Help, Squatters Call Foreclosures Home". New York Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- ^ 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) - ^ "Family Refuses To Leave Foreclosed Home". justnews.com. February 23, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Take Back the Land in South Africa". Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-4348-4556-6.