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Gentrification is a tricky term. The dictionary definition is “the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.” Gentrification is both a constructive and destructive process. In this blog post, we will be focusing on the negative effects of gentrification and some solutions to it. Gentrification is a renovation of homes to middle-class tastes so what does this mean for the poorer residents? According to Georgetown Law “Gentrification usually leads to negative impacts such as forced displacement, a fostering of discriminatory behavior by people in power, and a focus on spaces that exclude low-income individuals and people of color.” Georgetown Law also states that gentrification can be beneficial to current residents of the gentrified neighborhood if it is done in a considerate manner. This, however, is rarely ever done and more often than not pooer residents are pushed out of the neighborhood due to higher rent and cost of living. How can a neighborhood experience the benefits of higher-income residents moving in while also preserving the livelihoods of the current residents? By increasing homeownership within lower-income neighborhoods, it becomes harder for developers to push residents out. Rent control is also a great way to prevent predatory gentrification. Finally, the construction of affordable housing is a great way to combat predatory gentrification.
