Victor Cardoza

May 8, 2015
Writing 10 19
Mr. Moberly
Gentrification

Abstract

In my research proposal Gentrification, I researched the effects of gentrification,

known as an urban renovation and its negative effects to local residents. I also gathered ideas
through research to formulate a probable solution/alternative to gentrification that would
ultimately help combat gentrification in the Los Angeles region. My purpose is to bring
awareness to the problem of gentrification and that there are alternative methods to renewing
these urban communities. I used an accusatory & apprehensive tone because I wanted the
audience to understand that gentrification is unacceptable and that something needs to be done.

Background/Problem

Los Angeles is a city filled with people from all over the world, with different
backgrounds, different beliefs and different economic standings. It is what makes Los Angeles so
unique. It is precisely this uniqueness and diversity that attracts people to the big city, which then
spurs economic growth. However, there is an underlying issue that affects most of the
community. Specifically, an issue that affects the low-income families situated in the poorer parts
of the Los Angeles regions. That issue is called gentrification, also known as urban renewal. For

the purpose of this research proposal, I will use Dr. David Leys definition of gentrification
which he defines as the renovation of urban areas when the wealthy buy houses and stores in
deteriorating urban neighborhoods and reinvigorate them, thus increasing property values and the
cost of living in the surrounding area and promoting the displacement of low-income residents
and small businesses.

The problem with viciously pushing out the local residents during

gentrification is that they do not have the resources to leave and live elsewhere. As the increase
in rent around the city begins to climb rapidly the residents wages stay the same, which for many
families is hard enough as it is to stay afloat.

According to the 2010 census, Los Angeles is the most populous and densest city in
California, with a population of 3,792,621, that is 2 nd in the nation when compared with New
York City; it can be inferred that with a population this big and dense there are more people out
there suffering from the effects of gentrification. Gentrification is introduced to large
communities that have not faced such adverse price hikes for a very long time. These large
communities have faced a lot to be where they are today. They have suffered through riots; high
crime rates over the years just to be burden with doubled, if not tripled rents as stated by Paul
Moses, a Brooklyn College graduate in his publication Gentrification: Who Wins, Who Loses?
Does this give the wealthy the right to take away and destroy communities that have worked hard
over time to develop into the communities they are today?

A columnist for the L.A. Times, Steve Lopez, reported one particular experience, that of
the Sanchez family, to who the effects of gentrification are so drastic that the family who has
lived in Echo Park for the past 31 years is being forced out of their home. The Sanchez family,

which is composed of two grandparents, their daughter and their daughters daughter have made
Echo Park their home and have even started their own small business are now looking for
another home. To have a family that can barely get by where they are now being forced to
sacrifice their old lives and create another living elsewhere is outrageous, an outright crime.
According to the interview, the investor, 4SITE, had initially offered the Sanchez family $12,000
in rehoming costs which was then lowered to $4,650 because of a small technicality. What
happens when they run out of those measly $4,650 in a world that is ever so changing in terms of
the cost of living? There is no justification in the actions of these wealthy investors, in a
population where most people are poor, the suffering of the many outweigh the greed of the few.
If something is not done to aid those suffering from the repercussions of gentrification,
the outcome will never justify the means. Something has to be done for poor people are no less
than human beings.

Solution

In order to address the issues brought on by gentrification, the issue needs to be attacked
at the core. This means figuring out what allows such atrocities to happen without any
ramifications as well as figuring out what can be done when there arent many policies that
protect the residents that are negatively affected by the effects of gentrification?

A favorable and tangible solution to this problem would be to formulate policies that
protect these communities, it might take a long time and may not have enough support but in the
long run it would be most beneficial to start working on that immediately to have protection in

place that can be enacted on if in the future there are more issues with gentrification. To help
guide the policies currently there exists six key principles that should be noted within a report
titled Development Without Displacement: Resisting Gentrification in the Bay Area which can
be modeled similarly in Los Angeles. The report recommends that there be baseline protections
for vulnerable residents, production and preservation of affordable housing, stabilization of
existing communities, non-market based approaches to housing and community development,
displacement prevention as a regional priority, and planning as a participatory process. This
encompasses most, if not all, aspects of the effects of gentrification that need to be taken into
account when creating a variety of policies. By incorporating these principles into the policies,
L.A would be one step closer towards diminishing the effects of gentrification, possibly even
eliminating it completely.

Another way in which gentrification can be fought is through a process called Historic
Preservation. Historic preservation is a means that looks to preserve, conserve, and protect
buildings, objects, landscapes and artifacts that hold historical significance. This is a system
which already has legislation and policies in place that can be indirectly used to grant the poor
the safety and security they so desperately need and would be not only beneficial to the
community but also the wealthy investors.

Some people may not like the idea of altering the methods being used today to enrich
their neighborhoods because they may well be the exact people who profit from gentrification.
These are the people that already own the houses, the business, and any other establishments and

that will only be affected positively. These people have nothing to lose but all the more to gain,
but gentrification isnt the only way to rejuvenate the communities in which they live in.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is one way in which people from all
backgrounds, different beliefs, and different economic standings can enrich their lives without
having one side lose completely, in this case the poor. Throughout the years, courts have
consistently held that historic preservation is a legitimate purpose related to improving the
quality of life for citizens and by doing so allowing the government to enact historic preservation
statues in respect to the constitution (Howell 545).

To persuade the wealthy from demolishing and building new, thirty-one states now
offer a state-level tax credit, which can typically be partnered with the federal credit (Schwartz
2013), developers can pair the rehabilitation credit with other federal programs including LowIncome Housing Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, and Community Development Block
Grants (Curran 1997; Internal Revenue Service [IRS] 2002; Listokin, Lahr, and Heydt 2012),
and many cities and/or states offer property tax relief and low-interest loan programs for historic
preservation projects. Through the Office of Historic Preservation, California too gives state tax
credits as well as the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program also incentivizes private
sector rehabilitation of buildings and is known as the most effective community revitalization
program that generates jobs and keeps low-income housing in historic buildings.

The

combination of historic preservation and tax credits, as stated, would definitely spur economic
development.

Overall the community can work with the system that is displacing their community.
Kalima Rose, Senior Associate at PolicyLink, writes in her article, Combating Gentrification
Through Equitable Development that first the community should assess what the situation is, by
doing so they better prioritize and can take action more efficiently. Secondly, she states that
communities should evaluate zoning and public land giveaways and steer them in the direction
of their aspirations because tax, land use, and zoning policies are factors that help build fair
developments. By facing the issue and organizing together the community can address their
needs and will ultimately help them revitalize and thrive. As such is what the Fifth Avenue
Committee (FAC) has done as they have worked tirelessly for fifteen years to rejuvenate the
lower Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn by building affordable housing, rehabbing
dilapidated buildings and training residents to own cooperative businesses in the neighborhood.
With the success of their efforts they dove into the filed of campaigning a Displacement Free
Zone with which they hope to defend the tenants within the 36-block neighborhood from being
evicted; and joined forces with other campaigns and New York City organizations to give
landlords incentives to keep affordable housing and the current tenants in place as well as
requiring developers to include affordable housing in their new developments. This is definitely
something the Los Angeles community can look to as a model in order to combat gentrification
in the city.

Conclusion

Gentrification is happening all around the world, whether you are affected by it or not
doesnt make it any less of an issue. It is an issue that needs to be made aware to everyone and

needs to be addressed immediately before the effects leave people and their families jobless or
worse homeless. Letting a community such as the one of Los Angeles be affected by
gentrification would be a disservice to this country and its diversity.
Although both Historic Preservation and the creation of policies may take some time to
go into effect, it is still important that it is a goal that should be worked towards. And if the wait
for legislation to be created to protect the suffering communities may take too long, Historic
Preservation can very well be the perfect alternative for immediate relief. It would provide the
aid to the poor but also provide the money for the wealthy investors and with both parties
winning there would be no need to push out the low class out of the homes and communities they
have grown into and developed over the years. But it is undeniably a simple quick fix to a bigger
problem that cant possibly be fixed that easily.

At the end of it all, policies & Historic Preservation would be nothing without the people
standing up and fighting for it. Things may look bleak right now but there is hope for a better
tomorrow as long as the fight to end gentrification never stops. Knowing that there is help out
there brings you one step closer to salvation but actually reaching for it and doing something
about it is what ultimately defines your fate. However, you have to make an effort to want better
for yourself and your community and act upon that effort to see a change and make a change.
Many times we are blinded by our troubles that we forget that there are people and organizations
out there that are willing to help or that may be going through the same situations. Through unity
and collaboration it is possible to make a difference and stop the negative effects of
gentrification.

Works Cited
Howell, Ryan. "Throw the 'bums' out? A discussion of the effects of historic preservation statutes
on low-income households through the process of urban gentrification in old
neighborhoods." Journal of Gender, Race and Justice Spring 2008: 541+. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Khouri, Andrew. "Soaring Home Prices Spur a Resurgence near USC." LA Times 30 Apr. 2014:
n. pag. Print.
Ley, David. "Gentrification." The Dictionary of Human Geography. Oxford: Blackwell
Publishers, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 15 Mar 2015.
Lopez, Steve. "After 31 Years in Echo Park, Victims of Displacement by Gentrification." Los
Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
McCamy, Laura. "Gentrification Report Proposes Bold Solutions to Stop Displacement in
Oakland - Oakland Local." Oakland Local. Oakland Local, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 09 May
2015.
Moses, Paul. "Gentrification: who wins, who loses?" Commonweal 133.11 (2006): 10+.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Rose, Kalima. "Combating Gentrification Through Equitable Development."Combating
Gentrification Through Equitable Development. Reimagine, n.d. Web. 06 May 2015.
United States. Census Bureau. Population Division. 2010 Census. N.p., 31 Mar. 2015. Web. 27
Apr. 2015.