Who are We Building For? | Rayna Milfort | TEDxOvertown

Quick Overview

Rayna Milfort argues that achieving true equity in housing and community development requires centering the lived experiences of Black women, who disproportionately bear the burden of instability, by shifting focus from mere production to policies and budgets that prioritize preservation and support for those most impacted.

Key Points: Rayna Milfort is the Director of Housing Advocacy and Community Engagement at Miami Homes For All, an immigrant Black woman from Haiti who experienced housing insecurity firsthand. Over 60% of renters in Miami-Dade spend more than a third of their income on housing, and 53% of Black households in Miami-Dade live in poverty or below the Alice threshold. The speaker cites examples like Jamie, a first responder working two jobs who cannot afford rent, and Delores, a community garden owner struggling to feed her neighbors while facing rent increases. Milfort challenges the definition of progress, stating it is not just building more, but building smarter, fairer, and together. She calls for policies and budgets that reflect lived experience, prioritizing preservation and supporting the backbone of the community—Black women, single mothers, and caregivers. Her challenge is for the audience to show up, ask critical questions at county commission meetings about housing dollars, and push back against the idea that displacement is inevitable.

Context: Rayna Milfort, Director of Housing Advocacy and Community Engagement at Miami Homes For All, delivers a TEDxOvertown talk titled, "Who are We Building For?". Drawing from her personal experience as a Black immigrant woman from Haiti who navigated housing instability, she critiques current development practices that fail to serve the most vulnerable populations, specifically Black women who are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis.

Detailed Analysis

Rayna Milfort opens by introducing herself as a Black, immigrant woman from Haiti who has dedicated her life to housing advocacy and community engagement, personally understanding the realities of survival and resilience. She immediately highlights the severity of the housing crisis in Miami-Dade, noting that over 60% of renters spend more than a third of their income on housing, and 53% of Black households live in poverty or below the Alice threshold. Milfort shares personal anecdotes to illustrate this struggle: Jamie, a first responder working two jobs who still cannot afford rent near her station, and Delores, a community garden owner who cannot afford her own rent while trying to feed her community. She argues that these are not just statistics; they are real people carrying immense burdens. Milfort challenges the current definition of progress, asserting that it should not merely be about building more, but about building smarter, fairer, and together. She calls for a shift in policy and budgeting to center the needs of Black women, single mothers, and caregivers—the backbone of the community—who are currently being crushed by systems that make survival an uphill battle. Her call to action is for the audience to actively participate by showing up to city and county commission meetings, questioning how housing dollars are spent, and advocating for policies that ensure Black residents, especially those in historically Black neighborhoods like Overtown, have the right to stay and thrive, rather than accepting displacement as inevitable.