ABOUT US

Struggle for Miami’s Affordable and Sustainable Housing (SMASH)

Smash Miami Board

HISTORY

SMASH began in 2015 when Adrian Madriz and Berlinda Dixon, residents of Overtown, got together with Porgie “Gigi” Town, Sharice Taylor, Trenise Bryant 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.

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Board-Picture

LEADERSHIP

SMASH is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of grassroots leaders from Liberty City, Overtown and Little Havana. In addition, there are professionals in residence who have experience managing non-profits and developing affordable housing that guide the work of the community leaders. Trenise Bryant is currently the Project Lead, equivalent to Executive Director, and reports to the Board for all of the actions taken by the organization.

In 2014, low-income residents forced to live in slum-like conditions due to lack of resources began to organize for their rights to affordable, dignified housing and formed the “Smash the Slumlords” campaign. The women organized community meetings, educated other residents about their rights, garnered support from the city mayor and sought out legal action against slumlords. Conversations focused on the collective need and partnership with other grassroots organizations recruited allies from outside their community and helped bring the campaign into public light. Legal action against one slumlord led to his prosecution and the City of Miami placed his property under their control.

Afterwards, the residents of Liberty City rightfully demanded that the slumlord face greater consequences and that the buildings be repaired. However, when it became apparent that the buildings were so woefully neglected that they could only be condemned and destroyed, the City faced a new challenge: where to relocate the families in a city where there is a chronic shortage of affordable housing stock? In response to this dilemma, SMASH has tasked itself with developing expedited affordable housing units for these families on a Community Land Trust (CLT). Unlike other affordable housing projects, this one would be unique for its prioritization of extremely low-income families, and the community driven design and management process through the CLT model. This would not only provide the slum affected families of these buildings with the transitional housing units they need, but it could also be re-used for every set of families that find themselves in similar circumstances. Once they are relocated, their original buildings can be condemned, destroyed and rebuilt into permanent affordable housing where the families have a right to return.

Mary Lisbon

(Anything but "Ms.")

Treasurer

Advisor, Barry University

General Representative

2022-2024

Ivory Johnson-Parker

(She/Her)

President

CEO, Sweet Treats

General Representative

2023-2025

Andrea Copeland

(She/Her )

Director

Aide, City of Miami District 5

General Representative

2023-2025

Debora Carter-Rolle

(Queen)

Director

Organizer, Florida Rising

Leaseholder Representative

2023-2025

Rosalie Whiley

(She/Her)

Director

Board Member, Miami Workers Center

General Representative

2022-2024

Porgie Town

(She/Her)

Director

CEO, Gigi's Candles, Baskets and Gifts

General Representative

2022-2024

MEET THE TEAM

Trenise Bryant Headshot 2022.

Trenise L. Bryant (She/Her/Hers)

Co-Executive Director of Organizing and Communications

Trenise Bryant was raised in the Liberty City neighborhood in Miami, FL. Growing up, Trenise loved to play basketball and run track. Like many young girls, basketball and track wasn’t just a sport. As a survivor, sports helped Trenise during this time because it allowed her to be out of the house and be around her friends where she felt safe. Trenise went on to graduate from Miami Northwestern Senior high school and later started a decade of community activism and volunteering. She started volunteering at the Miami Workers Center in 2009 when she saw the need to give back to the community regarding gender and worker justice, even on a national level.

Trenise is proud to serve her community as a board member of the Miami Workers Center (MWC) nonprofit, whose mission is to build the power and self-determination of south Florida’s most oppressed communities. Trenise is also part of the Dignity Coalition Steering member, advocating for incarcerated women to get feminine hygiene products in jail. Trenise is passionate about volunteering in the community where she grew up, especially for the Liberty Square public housing complex. Trenise strongly believes that housing is a human right and is fighting to make that right a reality. In her role as the CSSJ Miami, FL Chapter Coordinator Trenise has helped grow the Miami chapter, hosted dozens of healing activities, and played a crucial role in helping to bring the first Trauma Recovery Network to Miami Dade County. Through her advocacy with CSSJ and other community organizations, she has helped to pass several criminal justice and crime survivor-related legislative bills.

Trenise is one of the co-founders of Struggle for Miami's Affordable and Sustainable Housing (SMASH), the first community land trust and affordable housing co-operative in Liberty City. SMASH provides sustainable and preserved land that the community controls and is building power to make housing a human right in Miami. Trenise has been an instrumental board member and volunteer for SMASH, training organizers, raising funds and bringing the Community Land Trust model to Miami. In 2022, after 7 years of hard development work in the start-up phase of the organization, she applied to become part of the SMASH staff, going through a long and exhaustive international search with many qualified candidates and organizers. SMASH is now proud to call her the official Co-Executive Director of Organizing and Communications.

Contact her by emailing trenise (at) smash (dot) miami.