Public Housing
The public housing program is funded and owned by the government, it is intended for the most disadvantaged members of the community i.e. the disabled, low-income, and elderly people. [1]
In Miami, there are a numerous public housing programs that have been built since 1934. The action for public housing stated because housing corporations wanted to clear slums and low-cost housing for blacks. The city of Miami didn’t have enough private investments to go ahead with the housing program so when the Public Works Administration (PWA) launched a nation-wide slum clearance in 1933, Miami decided to take advantage of that and used federal dollars to finance their housing projects. As a result, Liberty Square was one of the first public housing projects to be completed in 1937. Another public housing project was Edison Courts. This was a built after Liberty Square for the white population; it was completed in 1941. This would be the last public housing project for the next 15 years because of opposition from the real estate industry. [1] [2]
In Miami, there are a numerous public housing programs that have been built since 1934. The action for public housing stated because housing corporations wanted to clear slums and low-cost housing for blacks. The city of Miami didn’t have enough private investments to go ahead with the housing program so when the Public Works Administration (PWA) launched a nation-wide slum clearance in 1933, Miami decided to take advantage of that and used federal dollars to finance their housing projects. As a result, Liberty Square was one of the first public housing projects to be completed in 1937. Another public housing project was Edison Courts. This was a built after Liberty Square for the white population; it was completed in 1941. This would be the last public housing project for the next 15 years because of opposition from the real estate industry. [1] [2]
Liberty Square
Liberty Square started in 1934 as a single New Deal housing
projects for blacks. Its location was determined by white civic elites that
wanted to keep blacks of out downtown Miami. The need for Liberty Square was substantial
because in the 1930s most of Miami’s black population, over 25,00, was living
in Overtown, a 350-acre northwest of downtown. Buildings in Overtown were
dingy, lacked electricity and hot water, and were cramped and unsanitary. The
support for building Liberty square came from both blacks and whites; blacks
wanted better living conditions and whites wanted to move blacks to the
northwestern part of Miami. [1]
As time went on, Liberty Square because the center of a growing black ghetto. The blacks started to expand and build onto undeveloped land and into white neighborhoods. It now encompasses a 15-square mile area and is now known as Liberty City. [1]
Like many public housing projects, there were many concerns with the building and incoming of new tenants. Liberty Square was supposed to have a swimming pool, but because of the concern of syphilis transmission from Dr. Marvin Smith, a physician serving on the advisory commission, the swimming pool was taken out of the blueprint. Potential tenants of Liberty Square needed to fill out a tenant application to see if they met certain requirements, such as having health certificates and “allowing the fumigation and extermination of household items of incoming tenants.” [2]
Liberty Square was marketed as being free of diseases, having transportation for new residents to their jobs in Miami Beach, downtown Miami, and other places east and south of the city. At that time, rent was ranged from $12-$35 per month depending on their annual income. Most of the early residents had jobs and were hard working and eventually moved out of Liberty Square to buy a house. [2]
Not everything was nice in Liberty Square though. There were files of residents having undiagnosed mental illness, alcoholism, residents that struggled to pay their bills, kids that couldn’t go to school, and violence. [2]
Starting in the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Liberty Square started declining because of unemployment, gang violence, and drugs. The first signs of this decline was when single mothers living on welfare started to move into Liberty Square/Liberty City and the moving in of other unemployed people. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, most of the domestic work positions stated declining and federal funded training programs started appearing. Even though job training was available, the income ceiling to live at Liberty Square was removed so upward mobility was no longer a priority. Blacks just continued to work at their low paying jobs and stayed at Liberty Square. [2]
An explosion happened in 1987, causing the finding of dozens of gas leaks in the one- and two-story homes. By 1990, Liberty Square got the nickname “Pork ‘n Beans” because of its reputation as being one of the worse public housing project in Miami-Dade County. [3]
Today, there are plans to demolish Liberty Square and rebuild the community because of all its crime and substandard living conditions. Mayor Carlos Gimenez is putting together $74 million in public funds and $126 million in private funding towards the project that should start by 2016. This project is suppose to improve living conditions in Liberty Square and create jobs in Liberty City. Another one of the city’s plan is to build a new public housing complex two miles southwest of Liberty Square and have current tenants of Liberty Square move into the new housing complex so Liberty Square tenants will not be displaced once the city demolishes it. This plan is called “New Liberty Square.” [3]
As time went on, Liberty Square because the center of a growing black ghetto. The blacks started to expand and build onto undeveloped land and into white neighborhoods. It now encompasses a 15-square mile area and is now known as Liberty City. [1]
Like many public housing projects, there were many concerns with the building and incoming of new tenants. Liberty Square was supposed to have a swimming pool, but because of the concern of syphilis transmission from Dr. Marvin Smith, a physician serving on the advisory commission, the swimming pool was taken out of the blueprint. Potential tenants of Liberty Square needed to fill out a tenant application to see if they met certain requirements, such as having health certificates and “allowing the fumigation and extermination of household items of incoming tenants.” [2]
Liberty Square was marketed as being free of diseases, having transportation for new residents to their jobs in Miami Beach, downtown Miami, and other places east and south of the city. At that time, rent was ranged from $12-$35 per month depending on their annual income. Most of the early residents had jobs and were hard working and eventually moved out of Liberty Square to buy a house. [2]
Not everything was nice in Liberty Square though. There were files of residents having undiagnosed mental illness, alcoholism, residents that struggled to pay their bills, kids that couldn’t go to school, and violence. [2]
Starting in the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Liberty Square started declining because of unemployment, gang violence, and drugs. The first signs of this decline was when single mothers living on welfare started to move into Liberty Square/Liberty City and the moving in of other unemployed people. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, most of the domestic work positions stated declining and federal funded training programs started appearing. Even though job training was available, the income ceiling to live at Liberty Square was removed so upward mobility was no longer a priority. Blacks just continued to work at their low paying jobs and stayed at Liberty Square. [2]
An explosion happened in 1987, causing the finding of dozens of gas leaks in the one- and two-story homes. By 1990, Liberty Square got the nickname “Pork ‘n Beans” because of its reputation as being one of the worse public housing project in Miami-Dade County. [3]
Today, there are plans to demolish Liberty Square and rebuild the community because of all its crime and substandard living conditions. Mayor Carlos Gimenez is putting together $74 million in public funds and $126 million in private funding towards the project that should start by 2016. This project is suppose to improve living conditions in Liberty Square and create jobs in Liberty City. Another one of the city’s plan is to build a new public housing complex two miles southwest of Liberty Square and have current tenants of Liberty Square move into the new housing complex so Liberty Square tenants will not be displaced once the city demolishes it. This plan is called “New Liberty Square.” [3]
Sources:
[1] Mohl, R.A., (1985). The Origins of Miami’s Liberty City. Florida Environmental and Urban Issues, 12, 9-12.
[2] George, P.S. & Petersen, T.K. (1988). Liberty Square: 1933-1987 The Origins and Evolution of a Public Housing Project. Tequesta, 53-68. Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1988/88_1_04.pdf
[3] Rabin, C. & Smiley, D. (2015, January 29). Liberty Square Housing Project to be Razed, Redeveloped. Miami Herald. Retrieved from http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article8590790.html
Images:
Figure 1: Mohl, R.A. (2015). The Second Ghetto Thesis and The Power of History. .America: History & Life.
[1] Mohl, R.A., (1985). The Origins of Miami’s Liberty City. Florida Environmental and Urban Issues, 12, 9-12.
[2] George, P.S. & Petersen, T.K. (1988). Liberty Square: 1933-1987 The Origins and Evolution of a Public Housing Project. Tequesta, 53-68. Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1988/88_1_04.pdf
[3] Rabin, C. & Smiley, D. (2015, January 29). Liberty Square Housing Project to be Razed, Redeveloped. Miami Herald. Retrieved from http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article8590790.html
Images:
Figure 1: Mohl, R.A. (2015). The Second Ghetto Thesis and The Power of History. .America: History & Life.