Take back the land: An event foocused on homelessness solutions

Max Rameau, founder of the organization Take Back the Land,  is coming to Portland State tomorrow, Nov. 13, as part of a tour of the Northwest. The free presentation will be held in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 296. Rameau is also featured in the documentary Capitalism: A Love Story by Michael Moore.

Take Back the Land is an organization that combats homelessness by moving families into bank-foreclosed homes without permission. The organization is located in Florida, which has the second highest foreclosure rate.

So far, the organization has successfully found housing for over 20 families, many of whom have been able to use the circumstances to save money and “get back on their feet,” according to a press release by Walidah Imarisha of Portland State’s Black Studies department.

The movement started in October 2006, when a vacant lot owned by the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County was turned into the Umoja Village Shantytown by a mixed group of homeless people and activists. In Swahili, “umoja” means unity, which is fitting for the self-sustaining community that has developed within it.

“The Village” currently provides homes for 50 people. About 20 structures have been erected as housing, as well as a full kitchen, two portable toilets and a shower. The residents vote on issues pertaining to the Village, and are trained to keep the Village self-sufficient, according to the Web site.

Tens of millions of dollars that the county and city governments had designated for the development of low-income housing was instead used to construct luxury condominiums to attract wealthy investors. When reports of the corruption were broadcasted by the media, an angered public took the opportunity to take back the land.

In April of 2007, the Umoja Village was burned to the ground by unknown circumstances. However, the Take Back the Land movement has been moving homeless people into vacant, government-owned and foreclosed homes since October 2007.

Critics of the movement proclaim that it is “anti-development” because of its lack of buildings and consumer products. However, the movement suggests that development should be centered on humans, and that structures are merely a way to make a profit if they do not include the development of humans as well.

Take Back the Land has been featured in many prestigious media outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Mother Jones Magazine, CNN, Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, Fox News and PBS’ NOW program.

The event is sponsored by Portland State’s Black Studies department, Students for Unity, Sociology department, KBOO Radio and the Portland Housing Center. The event will also feature Mic Crenshaw, a local hip-hop artist.
Rameau anticipates that his presentation at Portland State will be his largest in the Northwest.