Gentrification Pros And Cons

Gentrification is a common issue in urbanized nations around the world. The presences of gentrification began to become common in the United States around the mid 1970s. There are many factors that affect the process of gentrification, and there are numerous social and economic consequences because of it. Gentrification can be seen as a double-edged sword, as it sets off a reaction of both positive and negative effects. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, gentrification is the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents. Gentrification is a common and controversial topic in urban planning. Gentrification is typically the

result of increased interest in a certain area. Gentrification is characterized by several changes. It reshapes the demographics of the community as it sees changes such as: An increase in median income, as wealthier more affluent people move in; a decline in the proportion of racial minorities, as poor minorities are of often driven out by increased rent or property taxes; and a reduction in household size, as low-income families are replaced by young singles and couples. The real estate market also sees changes such as: New developments of luxury housing, Conversion of rental units to condos, a large increase in rent and home prices, high-end housing, retail, and dining; and an increases in the number of evictions.

One thing that suffers the most would be the culture of the community. Communities are stripped of their culture and local businesses and residents are replaced by higher-end ones. So why does gentrification occur in certain neighborhoods? According to PBS, “Gentrification tends to occur in districts with particular qualities that make them desirable and ripe for change. The convenience, diversity, and vitality of urban neighborhoods are major draws, as is the availability of cheap housing, especially if the buildings are distinctive and appealing. Old houses or industrial buildings often attract people looking for “fixer-uppers” as investment opportunities.” In my eyes gentrification seems to be more about money and business opportunities and less about preserving or revitalizing the culture and economy of a local

community. While reading through some articles I began to notice the stance on gentrification is split. From an economic standpoint, gentrification seems like a brilliant idea. But from a social standpoint, gentrification displaces all the poor minorities and shifts the whole culture of a community. I believe that gentrification is bad because I live in a community that is fighting against gentrification and I have seen some of its ill effects firsthand.
Research Says
There are studies out there that seemingly show that gentrification is a good thing.

In a 2015 study done by Mike Maciag of Governing.com, he found that, “Nearly 20 percent of neighborhoods with lower incomes and home values have experienced gentrification since 2000, compared to only 9 percent during the 1990s.” (2015). This means that 1 in 5 low income neighborhoods have experienced gentrification since 2000, this may seem like a staggering number but Maciag also found says, “Gentrification still remains rare nationally, with only 8 percent of all neighborhoods reviewed experiencing gentrification since the 2000 Census.” (2015). This statistic shows that gentrification is a process that affects a few neighborhoods around the nation. In an excerpt from howstuffworks.com, author Dave Roos mentions a study done in 2008. He says “researchers from University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Pittsburgh and Duke University used census data to measure the total income gain in gentrified neighborhoods over a select period of time. Interestingly, the demographic group that contributed the largest percentage to that income gain was black residents with high-school diplomas. That group contributed 33 percent of the total income gain, while college-educated whites only brought in 20 percent.” (Roos, 2011). This study shows evidence that those who benefit from gentrification are not white college-educated residents, but rather, low-income minorities with high-school diplomas. Roos

also mentions that, “Census data shows that low-income urban residents move out of gentrifying neighborhoods at the same rate that they move from non-gentrifying neighborhoods. The difference in a gentrifying neighborhood is that higher-income people move in to take their place.” (2011). This evidence supports the idea that gentrification does not add to the displacement residents because residents are moving out of un-gentrified neighborhoods at the same rate as those who live in gentrified neighborhoods.
One interesting statistic that I found was from an article written by Scott McDonald, in it he states, “Analysis of crime rates between 1970 and 1984 in the fourteen neighborhoods tentatively indicates that gentrification leads to some eventual reduction in personal crime rates but that it has no significant effect on rates of property crime.” (McDonald, 1986). This static is interesting because it disproves the popular notion that gentrification brings along a decrease in crime.

My Opinion
I live in the city of Boyle Heights. Boyle Heights is currently seeing signs of gentrification. Residents are battling in order to keep Boyle Heights the same. As wealthier people move into poor neighborhoods, landlords raise their rents to cash in from the wealth of the new influx of residents. In the first 11 months of last year, the median sale price for homes in the 90033 Zip Code, which accounts for most of Boyle Heights, was $290,000, up 11.5% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to CoreLogic, a real estate data and analytics company based in Irvine. I had a friend who had been living in Boyle Heights his whole life. His family was renting a 2-bedroom apartment when all of a sudden their landlord notified them that their lease was up and that the new lease would increase their rent by several hundred dollars. His mother was unable to pay the rent so they were forced to leave. Stories like this are becoming more and more common around Boyle Heights and most of the residents are worried over the looming cloud of gentrification. Another thing happening in Boyle Heights is art galleries are being established all around the neighborhood. Growing up in Boyle Heights I can’t recall ever seeing all these art galleries. The overall consensus between the residents in Boyle Heights is that these artists and art galleries are the driving cause of the looming gentrification of Boyle Heights. I believe that these art galleries main intention isn’t to open the door for gentrification but at the same time they do attract all these outsiders and businesses who see an opportunity to cash in on this. In short, based on my experience I believe that gentrification is a bad thing for a neighborhood because it strips the community of their kinship, culture, and identity.