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CeliaContreras

PaulHealy
ELA11
1/26/2016

Gentrification

Introduction
Imaginebeingkickedoutofyourhomeonlytohavethecommunityyougrewupinbe
completelytransformedasunrecognizable.Thisiswhathundredsofresidentsinurban
neighborhoodsgothroughwhentheircommunitiesbecomegentrified.Fromthebodegaonthe
cornerbeingtakenoverbyanoverpricedantiquestore,toafailingpublicschoolsystemthe
effectsofgentrificationareextensive.Manyarguethattherevitalizationoffailingurban
communitiescomesatthecostofgentrificationbuttherearewaysforresidentstoremainintheir
neighborhoodsandhavetheiropinionbereflectedandexpressed.Apositivechangetoa
communityshouldbeprioritizedregardlessoftheraceandclassofthepeoplewholivethere.
Thatswhyurbancommunitiesdontneedgentrificationtoavoidthestressesitcausesinoriginal
residentslives.

Background
Gentrificationiswhenwealthierresidentsmoveintodisadvantagedneighborhoodsin
attemptstohelpthepeopleofthatcommunityeconomically.Insteadwhatoftenhappensisthe
displacementoforiginalresidentsfromtheircommunitiesorforthosewhostaythere,ahardlife

economicallyduetoinflation.OneplacethathasexperiencedgentrificationgreatlyisNewYork
City,wherethemedianrentpricesrose75%since2001,thissametrendcanbeseeninother
neighborhoodsthathavecurrentlybeengentrified(Valoy).Alongwiththeinflationofrentand
thedevelopmentofthecommunitynewerbusinessesopenup.Thesebusinessestendtobemuch
moreexpensiveleaving,lowincomeresidentswithoutaplacetoshopforgroceriesthat[are]
affordableandculturallyrelevant(Valoy).Thisleadstoresidentshavingtospendmuchmore
onfoodthatisnttargetedattheirspecificethnicgroup,affectingthembotheconomicallyand
culturally.AnotherauthorDarnellMooreexpandsontheproblemofnewbusinessesevenmore
writing,[Overpriced]brunchspots,organicfoodmarkets,cozybarsandlittleboutiques
(Moore)arejustafewofthetypeofbusinessesthattakeoverpreviousstores.Whilenewer
residentscelebratecheaphousingandtrendyshops,originalresidentsstruggletopayrentand
lookforaffordablewaystofeedthemselves.
Formany,therateatwhichrentrisesisunreasonabletokeepupwith.Thereason
landlordsdothisisbecausetheirpriorityistomakethemosttheycanfortheirpropertysothey,
raisetheirrenttocashinfromthewealthofthenewinfluxofresidents(Valoy).Newer
residentsincomeisusuallymuchhigherandevenwiththeraiseinrenttheystillseetheareaas
somewherecheap.Whenrentincreasesatsuchahighratethisleavesresidentswiththeoptionof
eitherstayingthereormovingout.Amongthosedisplaced,manyendeduplivingin
overcrowdedapartments,shelters,orevenbecamehomeless(JournalistsResource).This
showsthatalthoughthenewerresidentsmayhavethemissiontodevelopthecommunity,they
oftencausemoreeconomicdamageorleavepeopleoutintermsofeducationandcultural
representationwithintheircommunities.

Withfamiliesbeingforcedoutofhomes,soarechildrenattendinglocalschoolswhich
disturbstheirlearningprocess(Valoy).Movingintoanewcommunityisdifficulttoadjustto
especiallywhiletryingtobalancethatwithyoureducationasachild.Anothersourceexpandson
thisproblembecausethosewhodomoveindontevensendtheirchildrentothepublicschools
inthecommunity,theywouldmuchratherprefertosendthemtoprivateschools(Bloom).This
leavestheseurbanpublicschoolsrightwheretheystartedlackingfundingandsupport,leading
tothemajorityofstudentsofcolorstrugglingacademically.Thissameauthor,EsterBloom
claims,morethan50percentofthecityswhiteandAsianschoolkidsingrades3through8
passedthisyearsstateEnglishtests.Fewerthan20percentofthecitysblackandLatinokids
did(Bloom).EvenafterneighborhoodsexperiencegentrificationblackandLatinostudents
continuetostruggleacademically.Overall,childrenseducationsufferinghaslongtermeffects
whichputtheircareersandfuturesatrisk.

Section1
Themaingoalbeforeacommunitybecomesgentrifiedistorevitalizethatspecificarea
duetoanystrugglesthatitfacesregardingcrime,employmentandgraduationrates.Inorderto
fixtheseproblemstheredoesntneedtobesuchalargeamountofwealthypeoplemovinginto
replacetheoriginalresidents.Ifanything,thereshouldbeawaythattheoriginalresidentshave
theirvoicesandneedsheardasoneauthorSandySmithstates,makingsuredevelopersrespect
communitygoalsandpriorities(Smith).Thismeansthatnewerresidentsshouldn'tjustfixwhat
theywantthewaytheywantittobedone.Iftheirgoalsandvisionsrespectoriginalresidents
problemsandvoicesitwouldmeanmuchmoretothatcommunityandcauselessproblems.

Anotherwaytorevitalizeacommunityistofocusonactualproblemsapartfromjustthe
financesandeconomicsbehindthecommunity.Oncegentrifiersseewhattheycangainoutof
thecommunityintermsofmoney,importantissuesbegintogetignored.Aspectslikeeducation
arelessfocusedonoverthebuildingofluxurycondos,fancydining,andshoppingbusinesses.
Thisleadto,gentrificationhappen[ing]morequicklyasprofittrumpscommunityconcerns

(Loomans).Overall,focusingonwhatresidentswantfixedoverwhatcanbecapitalizedinthe
cityiswhatwilltrulyrevitalizeurbancommunities.

CounterArgument:
Manyurbancommunitiessuffervariousproblemsduetolackofjobs,pooreducation,
andhighcrimerates.Inordertosolvetheseproblemsthosethatintendtohelpthem,thinkthat
theymustlivewithinthesecommunities.Theydon'tthinkit'sarealisticprocessthatwillhappen
bylookingofftothesideobservingpositiveprogresswithinacommunity.Theyquestionthat,
whocanguaranteethatoncetheseproblemsdobecomesolvedthecommunitywon'trevertback
toitspriorcorruption?Supportersofgentrificationmightarguethattheyaresimplylookingfor
newlifestylesandhavegoalsinmindtobetterthecommunities,sotheactoflivingtherehelps
issuesgetaheadonimpact.Gentrifiersargueunitywithindifferentbackgroundsiswhattruly
needstohappenandinorderforurbanrevitalizationtoworktherehastoberoomforthem.This
iswherethey'rewrongbecauseunityisntreplacementofpeopleandculture,itsworking
together.Urbanrevitalizationhasachancetobesuccessfulwithoutdisplacementoforiginal
residentsanddefinitelyshouldntcomeatthecostofgentrification.

Conclusion:
Therearentmanywaystostopgentrificationfromhappeningasthosewithwealthand
powertypicallygettheirway.Havingcommunitymembersstandupandresistthesepowersis
difficulttodobutsimplydemandingrepresentationinthegroupofpeoplemakingdecisionswill
beastartingpoint.Aspeoplewithauthorityandpowerseetheseactionsthenmaybereal
problemswouldbesolvedinthesecommunitiesthatdontregardcapitalizingandmilking
everythingthecityhastooffer.Whenacommunitycanonlyseechangeifthemajorityofpeople
comefromasuperiorraceorclassitgetstothepointwherewecanquestion,aresome
peopleslivingconditionsmoreprioritizedthanothers?

WorksCited
Bloom,Ester."WhenNeighborhoodsGentrify,WhyAren'tTheirPublicSchoolsImproving?"
The
Atlantic.
AtlanticMediaCompany,7Oct.2015.Web.19Jan.2016.
"Gentrification,UrbanDisplacementandAffordableHousing:OverviewandResearchRoundup

Journalist'sResource."
Journalist'sResource.
Journalist'sResource,15Aug.2014.Web.
8
Jan.2016.
Loomans,Taz."HowCanWeRevitalizeUrbanNeighborhoodswithoutGentrifyingThem?"
Firefly
Living
.FireflyLiving,10Feb.2014.Web.12Jan.2016.
Moore,DarnellL."TheDisregardedConsequencesofGentrificationinThisNewYorkCity
Neighborhood."
Mic
.Mic,15Oct.2015.Web.20Jan.2016.
Smith,Sandy."3WaysCommunitiesCanTakeControlofGentrification."
NextCity
.NextCity,
4

Dec.2014.Web.8Jan.2016.
Valoy,Patricia."7ReasonsWhyGentrificationHurtsCommunitiesofColor."
Everyday
Feminism
.
EverydayFeminism,12Sept.2014.Web.8Jan.2016.

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