STRUGGLE FOR MIAMIS AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE HOUSING INCORPORATED
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Mission Statement
SMASH’s Mission is The creation of a Community Land Trust that will adequately address the needs of inner-city Miami residents affected by the symptoms of gentrification (slumlords, rising rents, lack of community control), and that is shaped, developed and implemented by those same residents.
About This Cause
Problem: Gentrification has made Miami the most unaffordable city in America. When families can't afford to live anywhere, they are forced to live in slum buildings, with rats, mold, mildew, roach infestations, disease, unsanitary conditions and slumlords who refuse to do anything about it. Slumlords continue to get away with this abuse because families have no other choice, and every decent dwelling is too expensive. Solution: Our solution is to take back the land from the slumlords. We empower residents to work with lawyer allies to bring slumlords to justice. Slum buildings are replaced with quality affordable housing controlled by residents through Community Land Trusts. Miami is equitably developed, block by block until slumlords are gone. Community control ensures that residents are protected from the forces of gentrification and displacement. History: SMASH began when Adrian Madriz and Berlinda Dixon, residents of Overtown, got together with Porgie "Gigi" Town, Sharice Taylor and other residents of Liberty City to do something about slumlords that were taking advantage of the neighborhoods. Forming the group was not easy, and in Gigi's case, she was reluctant to be involved in the campaign for fear of repercussions from her slumlord. But with time, and many conversations that focused on the collective need, even residents like Gigi came to be part of the campaign, and through our efforts, in partnership with other grassroots organizations, we were able to take legal action against the slumlord and have their property placed under the City's control. Now SMASH is dedicated to creating a new future for our residents, where they control the land and their destiny. In addition to the legal action, SMASH has successfully formed a Community Land Trust non-profit organization using residents from the affected community, and has garnered the support of the Mayor and the Director of Community Development to create the CLT on public land. The Liberty City Committee on Slum and Gentrification, a campaign under SMASH, is an initiative of residents from this historically Black, working-class community organizing against gentrification and slumlords. Residents meet with Community Benefit Organizations (CBOs) working on housing and displacement issues. This ensures that residents are meeting with the right stakeholders to make the most informed decisions about their community's future