HUD Seizes Control of Miami-Dade County Housing

Accused of "grossly mismanaging" housing programs for some 25,000 of its neediest families, the County today becomes the seventh out of 4,100 public housing agencies to be taken over by the Feds. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alverez vows to fight it in court. We wish he wouldn't. This is the best thing that could have happened to the poor in a long time. Local government had more than enough time to get it right. Now let's see what the Feds can do.

UpDate (8/8/07):

"Alvarez, County Manager George Burgess and the County Commission would lose all control of the agency -- a devastating blow to their credibility..."
--The Miami Herald, Wednesday, August 8, 2007

What credibility? Aside from Mayor Alverez whom we admire (except in this instance), their action over the past couple of years speaks for itself. Besides hurting the poor, their inaction and less than professional behavior has embarrassed all of us in the eyes of the world. Instead of threatening a costly lawsuit against the Feds, defending the work of Burgess and his bureaucrats and seeking solidarity with the commission, Alverez should be distancing himself from all of the above by taking the high road by admitting the government-- and the problems that came with it when he was elected-- fucked up. Fessing up and taking responsibility is a rare thing nowadays, but once seen, like the fleeting and legendary ghost orchid in the Everglades, it is something to cherish and behold. It also might get you reelected.

UpDate (8/23): A federal judge has ordered mediation over control of the Miami-Dade Housing Agency, a small early victory for county leaders trying to fend off a takeover by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Over HUD's opposition, U.S. District Judge Donald Graham ordered the nonbinding mediation on Monday. A daylong session is scheduled for Sept. 10. (Miami Herald)

UpDate (10/3): The county approves a deal that allows a federal takeover of the Agency for at least nine months.

UpDate (10/23): Ending months of "political jockeying," the feds have signed off on a deal to temporarily take over the Miami-Dade Housing Agency. HUD will officially take control this Friday, October 26th and stay in charge for at least nine months but could last more than a year if the agency doesn't meet goals agreed upon by both parties.

Monocle Man on Drunken Astronauts, Blacks on the run, Umoja Village, and More

WARNING: First off, anyone wearing a monocle today should be viewed with suspicion. This gentleman, who wishes to remain anonymous as is a blogger's wont, is not the kind of guy you'd invite to a party. If his 1,000 yard stare doesn't quickly put your shindig into an irreversible slide toward downersville, his jaded, dyspeptic personality soon will. So, dear reader, read his words with caution and a mojito, MVB's drink of choice, in hand.

• Thank God political correctness won't be touching the astronaut corp. NASA won't condemn the use of alcohol before space flight. These are America's bravest men and women and if a few feel like getting plastered before boarding a rocket that's been known to explode, who can blame them? Hell, I'm surprised they're not shooting up and dropping tabs of acid before each launch. That shuttle rocket is one scary beast.
• The Miami Herald reports that middle-class blacks are fleeing Miami-Dade county. This ''brain drain" of middle-class blacks are reportedly leaving "because they're anxious over job prospects, poor schools and a lack of affordable housing." This study was directed only at middle-class black Americans. A recent census report also shows 1-in-4 African Americans are skipping town. I suspect if they had looked at white middle-class Americans it would reveal pretty much the same thing. Miami-Dade is getting too expensive for the middle-class, no matter what color you're looking at.
• If the Umoja Village activists can persuade the city of Miami to give them land to develop low income housing, I predict they will do a better job of it than the city and the county combined. Carrfour Supportive Housing, winner of our February 14th MVB Big Idea Award has agreed to partner with Umoja Village but everyone's least loved lobbyist Ron Book, chairman of the county's homeless trust (is this not a conflict of interest?) has thrown a monkey wrench into the proceedings because he is against "giving any deal to any one source to the exclusion of all others without even hearing ideas from others.'' Gee, isn't that the approach he usually takes behind the scenes?

UpDate (8/1): Book wins, Umoja Village and Carrfour Supportive Housing loses as city of Miami commissioners vote not to give the land to the homeless activists. Instead the city will put it out to bid.

A Flower Grows In Umoja Village

Out of the vacant lot where Miami's shantytown Umoja Village has taken root, a feisty dandelion, scourge to many, loved by few, despite all obstacles has sprouted. Head held high, it symbolizes the indomitable spirit of the downtrodden, luckless bastards who trusted their government with providing affordable housing and found themselves homeless. Yesterday, the City of Miami backtracked on throwing the Villagers from their village. Buried deep within the Miami Herald, we're told the commission thought it best to "kill" the proposal and instead focus on finding long-term housing solutions rather than shutting the Village down.

Which begs the question: Why didn't they take this rational, humane approach from the beginning instead of a reactionary one usually associated with jackboot fascist dictatorships? What made them see the light? Could it have been seeing one of their fellow commissioners, Tomas Regalado, joining the Villagers in protest and getting arrested should the commission follow through on their threat to shut it down? MVB thinks so because inevitably the media microphone and lens would be pointed their way asking for an explanation, something we're sure they wouldn't be able to give...reasonably.

Now the wind has caught the dandelion and its seeds are traveling beyond Umoja Village.

Update (4/26/07): After six months, Umoja Village burns to the ground. An unattended candle brings the shanty town of nearly 50 people to an ignominious end. Miami police arrest those who refuse to leave and within hours the place is bulldozed and hauled away. Still, its founder Max Rameau vows to fight on.

Monocle Man On: The Baseball Stadium, Umoja Village...

WARNING: First off, anyone wearing a monocle today should be viewed with suspicion. This gentleman, who wishes to remain anonymous as is a bloggers wont, is not the kind of guy you'd invite to a party. If his 1,000 yard stare doesn't quickly put your shindig into an irreversible slide toward downersville, his jaded, dyspeptic personality soon will. So, dear reader, read his words with caution and a mojito, MVB's drink of choice, in hand.

*****

• MLB wants a downtown Miami stadium. So do I. But at what price? Part of the financing may include using millions of dollars designated by law to improve blighted neighborhoods. These funds would come from the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Right now, the proposed site is outside the boundaries of the CRA. But there is talk about expanding the boundaries to include the proposed site to tap the funds for the new stadium near I95 and the Government Center. To me, it looks like this plan will rob from the poor to give to the rich. I think MVB's proposed site is much better-- and it doesn't need to get built at the expense of building affordable housing for the poor to make it a reality-- plus, it's built over a MetroRail station making it unnecessary to walk through the heat, humidity, and the rain to get to the stadium. Miami mayor Manny Diaz supports using CRA funds to help build the stadium. Unfortunately for the poor, Michelle Spence-Jones is the Chairwoman for the CRA, the same one who, as a commissioner, proposed re-writing the ordinance to legally shut down Umoja Village, Miami's upstart shantytown.
• Regarding Umoja Village, today's Herald notes that the new ordinance Ms. Spence-Jones wants to introduce, has been pulled from this week's commission agenda. Maybe she realized how much it made her look like a first rate schmuck. Naw, they're probably just making sure all the legalese is drum tight and protects them from looking like heartless bastards.
• Meanwhile, Max Rameau, founder of Umoja Village, is organizing protests for Super Bowl week. Stay tuned.
• Elita Loresca

A MVB Tip O' the Kangol to Miami Commissioner Tomas Regalado!

Our first ever "Tip O' the Kangol" award goes to Miami City Commissioner Tomas Regalado. He's one of the few stand-up guys in local politics. In early 2005 he took on the city's pugnacious loudmouth city manager Joe Arriola (now gone) when he lobbied his fellow commissioners for a vote of no confidence. He stood alone then and he stands alone again in 2007 with his audacious statement that if the commission votes January 11th to approve an ordinance that will be used to roust the homeless from their shantytown-- christened Umoja Village and built on a city owned empty lot-- he will walk off the dais and go to the camp and wait to be arrested.

We LOVE this guy! It's like watching Jimmy Stewart in a Frank Capra movie. With an accent. Except we're in it with him-- especially if we decide to join him. Let's hope the commission gets it right this time so Mr. Regalado doesn't have to take that long walk down to shantytown.

UpDate (1/11): The commission backs down. Our hero won't have to take that long, lonely walk down to shantytown.

The clock is ticking down on Umoja Village

As predicted, the government would find a way to remove the homeless and their leader Max Rameau from the makeshift "Umoja Village" they erected on public land in Liberty City 53-days ago. With each passing day, the world is reminded that Miami and the county are doing an embarrassingly shabby job at providing affordable public housing and it officially became too much as the squatters at the "Village" were served notice yesterday when the City of Miami voted 3-2 to change the rules for public assembly. From now on any citizen gathering held on government land not generally open to the public-- must obtain a permit. It becomes final in January when commissioners are required to vote on it again. Only commissioners Marc Sarnoff and Tomas Regalado voted against the rule change sighting First Amendment challenges to free speech and the right to assembly.

Call us jaded from having lived here for so long, but we suspect that pressure was put on commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, an African-American who represents that part of Liberty City, to introduce the rule change. She said she was getting calls from her constituents to get the squatters out of there because they were having a bad influence on the community. In truth, the pressure was probably coming from developers and the mayor's office to make Umoja Village go away and it would look better if the rule change came from one of their own. Why else would Spence-Jones ignore the outrage from activists and leaders from five area churches who want the "Village" to remain?

As reported in the Miami Herald, Rev. Ralph Ross of the Historical Mt. Zion Baptist Church said, "They want to tear this place down. This place says our leaders are not doing what they can for our people." Rev. John Cox of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church added, "With regards to Umoja Village, the church embraces the residents as our brothers and sisters. We regard them as good neighbors-- in fact, better neighbors than some with more means."

Rev. John, too bad your sentiments aren't enough anymore in a world where only money talks.

As for Max Rameau, unless the Miami City Commission comes to its senses in January for the final vote, be prepared for an ignominious, but legal, eviction. Since the law may be against you, your only ally, aside from the church which no one seems to be paying much attention to lately, is the Fourth Estate, the poor's last resort talisman against a bullying, self-aggrandizing government. Keep them abreast of the situation. Make sure you send out press releases to cover "Christmas at the Village". Knowing the press is all over the "Village," maybe, just maybe, the City of Miami won't try to run you and your homeless brothers and sisters out of town. We're sure the last thing they want is another Time magazine cover story with cops behaving very third-worldly cracking heads with the same zeal found in south American dictatorships as they tear down your shantytown and try to bury everything it stood for.

Finding Your Voice By Taking It

When corrupt and inept politicians and bureaucrats forfeit the rights of its citizens to basic housing through mismanagement, indifference, and greed, it is not uncommon to see people take matters into their own hands. Right now a classic text book example of that is going on in Liberty City, the oft forgotten burg of the black and voiceless. Umoja Village, a shantytown by any other name, is rising on an acre of public land at NW 62nd Street and 17th Ave. Ten years earlier, the City of Miami tore down a derelict apartment building and, from looking at the empty lot, forgot to build a new one for the people who live there. If you live in that community, this is the way of the world as you know it. It's something to shrug your shoulders over but nothing to lose sleep over.

Unless you're Max Rameau, activist-at-large. Protected by Pottinger v. City of Miami, a law that prohibits police from arresting homeless people trying to to stay alive on public property when no other space is available, Rameau not only seized the day he also seized the land on October 23rd.

Cool. MVB wishes him and his village people good luck. "Umoja" is Swahili for "unity." We thought it was "irony," since the village is there because local government screwed its poorest citizens. Max, thanks for sticking it to the man for the rest of us. We're sure city and county government didn't expect you to stay this long. You recently celebrated what you call on your website "Thankstaking" and what the rest of us call "Thanksgiving." Happy Thankstaking!

Max, as an aside from the publisher, although my street sig might be O.W.G for "Old White Guy," I hope you might consider that you'll get more of anything with honey than vinegar. Try cutting back on the negative, alienating, angry crap on your website and in your speeches. You already have our sympathy but getting our support in money and in-kind donations is going to take a kinder, gentler approach because, to be honest with you, blaming America and the white man for your troubles won't help your cause one iota when "the man" inevitably comes for you and the villagers in the middle of the night. Hopefully that won't happen. Hopefully they can build public housing quick enough to get you and the villagers a decent place to live. Realistically, that won't happen anytime soon so be prepared. Make sure your media contacts are stored in your cell phone so they can be there when the shit hits the fan. Maybe just knowing you'll phone in the media should the powers-that-be try to bulldoze the village will be enough for them to leave you alone. Simply put, Max, as long as you and your village remain a black eye on the new face of Miami rising downtown with each new chi chi condo only the wealthiest can afford, one way or another, your days are numbered because "they" will find a way around the law to make you and everything you stand for go away.

UpDate (11/30): Today the Miami Herald ran a story on Umoja Village noting that it now has reached a full capacity of 40 residents and has had to turn away 10 people. Miami City Manager Pedro Hernandez visited the community on Wednesday and told Rameau that they share the same objectives, finding affordable housing.