The Forgotten Architects: Black Women and the Future of Equitable Housing
In a compelling discourse on urban development and social justice, Raina Milfort, Director of Housing Advocacy & Community Engagement at Miami Homes for All, brings into sharp focus the critical role of Black women in addressing the affordable housing crisis. Her address serves as both an exposé of systemic inequities and a call to action for inclusive policy-making, particularly in urban centers like Miami-Dade County.
The Unseen Burden
Milfort opens by sharing her personal narrative, illustrating the intersectional challenges faced by Black women, immigrants, and advocates in securing affordable housing. Drawing from her experiences growing up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, she highlights the resilience of Black women who serve as the bedrock of their communities, even amidst adversity. This reality, she argues, shapes her approach to justice, dignity, and equity, emphasizing the need to support those who have long been carrying the weight of societal challenges.
Stark Realities: Miami-Dade's Housing Crisis
Milfort presents a sobering assessment of Miami-Dade County's housing landscape, which is the most cost-burdened metro area in the United States. She cites statistics indicating that over 60% of renters spend more than a third of their income on housing. In historically Black neighborhoods like Overtown, the situation is even more dire, with 63% of Black households living in poverty or falling below the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold. This means that many individuals are employed, sometimes holding multiple jobs, yet still struggle to afford basic necessities such as housing, child care, transportation, and healthcare.
For Black women, particularly single mothers and caregivers, the burdens are disproportionately heavy. Milfort draws attention to the correlation between housing insecurity and adverse pre-pregnancy outcomes, mental health disparities, and overall well-being. These women, who are already supporting families and communities, are further burdened by systemic barriers that make survival an uphill battle.
Black Women: The Unacknowledged Leaders
Despite the challenges, Milfort emphasizes the indispensable role of Black women in addressing the housing crisis. She highlights their efforts in organizing tenant associations, running food pantries, and advocating for eviction diversion programs. From grandmothers stretching retirement checks to daughters attending zoning hearings, Black women are at the forefront of community-led initiatives aimed at securing housing for all.
Milfort references several individuals, such as Jamie, a teacher working two jobs to afford a one-bedroom apartment; Trina, a nonprofit worker struggling to pay her own rent; and Dolores, a barista working early morning shifts while worrying about making rent. These examples serve as poignant reminders of the human toll of the housing crisis and the resilience of those most affected.
Redefining Progress
Milfort challenges the conventional definition of progress, urging a shift towards smarter, fairer development that prioritizes community needs over profit. She questions the construction of luxury high-rises in historically Black neighborhoods that exclude long-time residents, as well as the definition of affordable housing based on area median income, which often fails to address the needs of low-income communities.
To achieve real equity, Milfort argues for centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by housing disparities. She proposes designing housing policies with Black women at the center, prioritizing deeper affordability, tenant protections, community land trusts, preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing, wraparound services, homeownership access for first-generation buyers, affordable child care, and access to affordable grocery stores rather than predatory lending offices.
A Call to Action
Milfort concludes with a call to action, urging individuals to show up at city council and county commission meetings, support grassroots leaders and organizations, and challenge narratives that normalize displacement. She emphasizes the need for collective action, urging everyone to step up and support Black women in their efforts to build a more equitable Miami where housing is a right, not a privilege.
She implores the audience to remember that true equity arises not from isolated actions or policies, but from a collective commitment to building differently and working together.
Milfort's perspective offers a profound commentary on the intersection of race, gender, and housing in urban America, advocating for policy changes that recognize and uplift the leadership of Black women as a necessary strategy for achieving housing justice.
