Umoja Village - Miami's Shanty town (West Palm Beach, Palm Beach: middle-class, section 8, rent)

[noland123]

Umoja Village was a shanty town that was set up at 6201 N.W. 17 th ave. in Miami's Liberty dealing with 46 homeless people back in 2006.These were squatters who were fed up with Miami's city government over affordable housing,they were promised this ,but the city squader millions on other things, so they set up this area made out of card board and whatever other materials they could find. They cooked out over an open fire ,had couches in the open air to sit on in a wide open field.


I bring this up for the fact that there is a lot of talk about Miami being a Third-World Country and this is the only thing close to what I see as Third-World in Miami and it is not even there now. Even the governmental housing seen in the background look like palaces compared to that squalor. The city of Miami still has a middle-class somewhat eradicated though from past years and they still fly the American flag,so by no means this is a third -world city.

I don't know how to transfer pictures or videos from one site to the next, but I found this video on Youtube-So go to Youtube type in Miami's Liberty City,then scroll all the way to the bottom and then you will find Umoja Village and then click on there. It is a 15-minute video.

[blackklight]

third world doesn't always mean cardboard houses and people with no clothes on

have you ever been to a third world country? most of their cities have mcdonalds and all of the other us franchises.

[MiamiVice1985]

I saw the video you are referring to. It made me sick to my stomach. However, would not these same people be in the same desperate situation anywhere else in the country. Sure, in San Fransisco they might have a cot to sleep on, and in New York they could apply for a permit to 'beg' on fifth avenue in Manhattan. It is more important to put emphasis on teaching these people and their children to break the lifestyle of homelessness rather than beating the drum about housing. Put these people in government housing without teaching them to be productive members of society and you solve nothing.

With regards to people associating Miami with the third world, I believe this is because of the extreme category of vocabulary used to describe the city. For example, words like first, most, least, and highest are often used when describing statistics about Miami. For example,

Miami has the most poverty of any large city in the country (28% below the line).

Miami proper has the least amount of white people of any large city in the country (11%).

Miami-Dade has the highest percentage of foreign born population of any county in the country (50.4%)

Only 32% of the Residents in Miami-Dade speak English at home.

Last, but not least, Miami was the first city in the nation to declare Spanish as its official language.

Now, these statistics (as well as the adjectives that describe them) are viewed by many (rightly or wrongly) as being associated with poorer areas of the world, areas of the world where people don't speak English, or areas of the world where there are few white people. How could they be that wrong by looking at those statistics?

[tallrick]

Government-managed housing is always a failure. The Government does own all properties and controls their use though. Your home and mine are Government owned, you just rent from them. It is not a crime to be homeless and I have seen people homeless who were not drunks or druggies, I have even known people personally who were divorced or became ill and ended up on the street. In fact I have helped them get out of Miami and they are no longer homeless. You cannot trust the government in Miami -Dade county to provide housing for the poor, they are too corrupt. The way to solve the problem is to get rid of corruption, Team Metro and all bad agencies and let people help themselves. If a group wants to live in a shantytown in their area, let it happen. Just think of it as a "campground". Let businesses get started and those that cannot work probably need mental help anyway. Just never trust Miami-Dade government to do anything except waste your tax money.

[JacobMAX]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Government-managed housing is always a failure. The Government does own all properties and controls their use though. Your home and mine are Government owned, you just rent from them. It is not a crime to be homeless and I have seen people homeless who were not drunks or druggies, I have even known people personally who were divorced or became ill and ended up on the street. In fact I have helped them get out of Miami and they are no longer homeless. You cannot trust the government in Miami -Dade county to provide housing for the poor, they are too corrupt. The way to solve the problem is to get rid of corruption, Team Metro and all bad agencies and let people help themselves. If a group wants to live in a shantytown in their area, let it happen. Just think of it as a "campground". Let businesses get started and those that cannot work probably need mental help anyway. Just never trust Miami-Dade government to do anything except waste your tax money.

I agree.

Another Goverment housing project that failed is the Dunbar Village ( in West Palm Beach ).

[MiamiVice1985]

So what do the Umoja activists want? Do they want government housing, more welfare, what? There was supposedly $85 million in Federal Hoousing Administration backed funding to build a 'project' somewhere in Liberty City. I think the idea of government housing is inherently flawed, and will never work.

However, the disappearance of that $85 mil should warrant capital punishment, even if it was going to a bad cause. However, the fact that millions went into somebody's cauffer's does not justify the uprising over the conditions that the people in Umoja village are living. They are in that position because of personal problems. In other words, don't rely on the government for anything!

[MiamiRob]

public housing is wharehousing the poor and leads to a incredible amount of crime. I prefer they be given a Section 8 voucher instead so they can live where they want.As for this village I understand it is a protest but the HUD office in Miami had to be taken over by the Feds for many accounts of fraud so affordable housing is a long way off. Last time I checked the HUD Miami office had a waiting list for public housing that was over 70,000 people.

[meyou]

can you tell me wore it is Umoja Village in miami fl i live in miami i do not no wore it is i like to go see it and happy if i can emaill me at c112076 aol .com


ty cab

[Luiso]

Originally Posted by noland123

Umoja Village was a shanty town that was set up at 6201 N.W. 17 th ave. in Miami's Liberty dealing with 46 homeless people back in 2006.These were squatters who were fed up with Miami's city government over affordable housing,they were promised this ,but the city squader millions on other things, so they set up this area made out of card board and whatever other materials they could find. They cooked out over an open fire ,had couches in the open air to sit on in a wide open field.


I bring this up for the fact that there is a lot of talk about Miami being a Third-World Country and this is the only thing close to what I see as Third-World in Miami and it is not even there now. Even the governmental housing seen in the background look like palaces compared to that squalor. The city of Miami still has a middle-class somewhat eradicated though from past years and they still fly the American flag,so by no means this is a third -world city.

I don't know how to transfer pictures or videos from one site to the next, but I found this video on Youtube-So go to Youtube type in Miami's Liberty City,then scroll all the way to the bottom and then you will find Umoja Village and then click on there. It is a 15-minute video.

Miami isnt a 3rd world city I agree but Miami if not connected to rest of USA with these particular political incumbents would be a 3rd world country VERY FAST.

3rd world country politicians are ONLY out for themselves and other than speeches nothing else. Some countries,etc are very poor thus no matter what is done its a huge uphill climb.

S.Florida is far from poor but same type politicians as any corrupt 3rd world .
Even while attached to USA the amount of money missing yearly is insane and sadly expected and accepted by citizens and media .
Not to mention they dont do a thing but speeches. Just like 3rd world political parasites.

I know someone will now post a worse example like Russia under Stalin which is why the political Cosa Nostra here gets a free pass.

[jbravo]

Poverty is undeniable in Miami.
And, as others have posted so is the unbelievable inequities in wealth.