So many communities and neighborhoods are vulnerable and prone to being gentrified in cities all over the country. Major cities like Los Angeles, Austin, Oakland, San Francisco, and more are increasing in population. The question is, who is moving into these cities and how is it affecting people who already reside there? For those who do not know, gentrification describes the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, rising rent and property values, and changes in the district’s character and culture. It has a negative connotation, as it should, because it is known for displacing communities that are generally populated by people of color and low-income households. Neighborhoods in Los Angeles such as Highland Park, Echo Park, South Central, Boyle Heights, Atwater Village and more have been hit hard with rising rent prices, and the demolition of homes and community landmarks. All of this to make way for luxury apartments and non-locally owned businesses, and the erasure of their culture and history.
(Image by Los Angeles Magazine by Damon Casarez)
Community members who have lived in these areas for decades now find themselves living with the possibility of being evicted and displaced. The increase in rent leaves many with no other option but to find housing elsewhere, if possible. Entire communities are evolving to ones that are no longer recognizable to the people who have lived in these areas their whole lives. Not only is gentrification displacing families and individuals, but it’s also changing the physical appearance of these communities. Beautiful murals that made the streets vibrant and alive are now painted white and completely change the feel of those same streets. Locally-owned shops are priced out and replaced with businesses that no longer accommodate existing members of those communities. Community libraries are being closed to make way for more apartments that would not be affordable to residents already living in the community.
(Image by Streetblog)
Landlords and developers work hand-in-hand when it comes to the gentrification of neighborhoods. Money-hungry landlords will dramatically increase the rent on their tenants, and those who cannot afford the new demand are forced to relocate where they can. Landlords can also sell their properties to developers for profit. These developers have no intention of having current residents continue living on these properties, so tenants are evicted to make way for something that will bring in more revenue, like luxury apartments and commercial real estate. Tenants are now left without housing and most likely will not be able to afford to live in luxury apartments developers intend to build. Who will be able to live in these new overpriced residences? Studies have shown that there has been an increase of affluent white households moving into downtowns of ⅔ of U.S. major cities.
(Image by Urban Displacement Project)
Many have embraced gentrification for putting pressure on schools, the police and the city to improve. The problem with that is it pushes a false narrative that residents did not care about their local schools, safety, and community prior to gentrifiers entering their neighborhoods. People in favor of gentrification fail to recognize that gentrifiers are making these communities unrecognizable for residents who have lived there for years prior. What was once home and an embracement of history and culture is now being erased and disregarded from those who are entering. It also brings a rise in police-presence to accommodate gentrifiers, but disproportionately target black and brown residents who have resided in these neighborhoods for years, decades, and generations. Despite a diversing neighborhood, a study found that white gentrifiers are more likely to have little-to-no interaction with the remaining non-white residents, and may even be against interacting with non-whites in general. So what is the end-goal of gentrification? Is it really about improving communities, or is it about erasing the identity of existing neighborhoods in the name of profit?
A good way to summarize the viewpoint of residents who are seeing their neighborhoods being gentrified is by quoting Spike Lee’s criticism of gentrification, “Why did it take this great influx of white people to get the schools better? Why’s there more police protection in Bed Stuy and Harlem now? Why’s the garbage getting picked up more regularly? We been here!”