Gentrification

Gentrification

Is a form of neighborhood change that occurs when higher-income groups move into low-income areas, potentially altering the cultural and financial landscape of the original neighborhood (hudser.gov).

Research: Articles:

1. Holland, S., (2016). Gentrification: causes and consequences. Journal of lutheran ethics, 16(1). Retrieved from https://www.elca.org/JLE/Articles/1135#_edn7

2. Ensuring Equitable Neighborhood Change: Gentrification Pressures on Housing Affordability. (december 2016). Insights into Housing and Community Development Policy, 5-7. Retrieved October 21, 2018, from https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/Insights-Ensuring-Equitable-Growth.pdf

Information & Research

According to a Journal Article, Gentrification: Causes and Consequences states that gentrification is usually attributed to the sociologist Ruth Glass who used the word “gentrification” to describe the transformation that occurred in London in the early 1960’s. Gentrification is nothing new that is occurring in our times, but it something that has been occurring for the past years. The common usage of the word “Gentrification” has been used to describe changes in neighborhoods that attract wealthy people into new modernized homes and while this occurs, it causes those who already lived in the neighborhood to abandon their homes and look elsewhere, where rent is not too high. There are three theories that try to explain the cause of gentrification. In the article Gentrification: Causes and Consequences it states the three theories: " 1. Supply-Side Factors, 2. Demand-Side Factors, and 3. Policy Factors”. 

 First Theory: Supply-Side factors states that various forces cause the price of inner-city housing to declines which then becomes desirable to outsiders and it is then converted to higher value because more people want to live in the area. Vise-versa if the suburbs become cheap, then the inner-city individuals will want to move out there and then the pricing of the rent goes up again, while the inner-city prices decline. For this to occur, years and years must pass in order for this take in effect. 

 Second Theory is how young. Wealthy, and childless individuals move to gentrified neighborhoods due to demands of jobs, and employment. Henceforth causing more gentrification due to these individuals ability to pay higher rent and requiring for new modifications to attract more wealthy individuals. 

Third Theory states how policies create incentives for high income people to purchase homes in lower income neighborhoods. The availability of transits also triggers gentrification process. 

Now what are the Causes of Gentrification? There are a lot of views on how it can be good for the neighborhoods and how it can be bad. Many see it as a modification of a neighborhood and making an upgrade. Although all of that might seem something good, it is causing harm to those who cannot stay in tune with the high increase volume of rent. This effects individuals to leave the gentrified neighborhoods due to involuntarily displacement. They are forced out by higher renters or even evicted whether it is because the neighborhood is being upgraded, or converted to condos. While there are some individuals that do stay but then eventually move because of family and friends have left. Even some that do stay, share rent with others. The following is an image showing the percentage of share of renters with incomes under $15,000 in the U.S Metropolitan Areas.

Huduser.gov states that as of 2016 "72 percent of the lowest-come renters (earning less than $15,000) are facing severe housing cost burdens, paying more than 50 percent of income toward rent". This is seen more in gentrified neighborhoods compared to non gentrifying areas. 

The Following is a video that further explains what Gentrification is: 

Why Gentrification is relevant to me: 

This social issue is relevant to me for the fact that this issue has affected thousands of families in Los Angeles. Rent has increased dramatically the past years, and it has affected not just my family and friends, but also to other individuals. About two years ago, the apartment building where my aunt use to live, the residence got evicted due to Target being built three blocks away. The pressure of finding another home to live in was a struggle since the rent here in LA is high. The part that makes it more disappointing and frustrating is that Target never got to be built. To this day it is just a building under construction and no action is being taken to whether it is to be removed or to proceed in its continuation of construction. Around the blocks of my neighborhood of where I live, I had friends who lived near me. Now because of Gentrification they have moved far away. The homes in which they lived in, are now taken over by new condos.  The following is an image of the under construction of Target. Causing Gentrification and the results were evicted residents and unfinished work:

A Word from the Community 

Carissa Cayanan

"There are two view points that can be seen on either side. I believe that Gentrification gets rid of places that were initially composed of buildings that were hazardous to others. But at the same time is horrible for the people that need a place to live. Middle Class people take over these new lands and they try to make it more expensive for the community. But overall, gentrification saves our community but affects the cost of living the low class population". 

                                 Kevin Hernandez

"I am neutral on the topic of Gentrification. On one hand, you have these high income individuals who arrive into the gentrified neighborhoods causing the neighborhood to advocate for new amenities to make the neighborhood look more  appealing to new buyers. Causing these established residents to feel alienated because the neighborhood has taken up a new persona that they are not accustom to. But then on the other side, it has been stated that in gentrified neighborhoods there is little to know violent crime rates, and that in these gentrified neighborhoods see an increase in the access of greater number of services such as main stream, financial institutions, and healthy food establishments".