The Take Back the Land Movement is rooted in the following principles:

  • Housing is a human right;
  • Local community control over land and housing;
  • Leadership by impacted communities, particularly low income women of color;
  • Direct action oriented campaigns.

The overarching objective of the Take Back the Land Movement correlate significantly with our principles:

  • Fundamentally transform land relationships;
  • Elevate housing to the level of a human right;
  • Community control over land and housing;
  • Empower impacted communities, particularly low income communities of color.

In order to achieve these movement objectives, we must design and implement a series of campaigns, whose objectives support those of the broader movement. Therefore, campaign action areas include:

  • Foreclosure related evictions. In the context of the worse housing crisis in memory, evicting families and creating more vacant homes in communities is counterproductive.
  • Foreclosed homes. These homes must be filled with families in need of housing.
  • Vacant foreclosed and government owned buildings. At a time of such great need, these vacant structures shock the moral conscience. They must be used to housing people.
  • Vacant foreclosed and government owned land. Now that “boom” times are over, vacant land must now be returned to the common good.
  • Public housing. Public housing must be protected because we cannot afford to lose low-income housing.
  • The right to return. Whether through gentrification, public housing demolition or the combination of natural disasters and government actions, those forced to leave their long-time communities must have the right to return.