My Neighborhood is Not for Sale
Courey Leer
On your street, you see the “FOR SALE” sign that has been up for years come down. You see cars you could never afford parked against the broken sidewalk. Construction workers bust in and out of a broken door every day, and soon, you see an abandoned house transformed from dilapidation to dazzling. It’s beautiful. And it looks nothing like the rest of the houses on the block.
You also see apartment buildings go up in once-empty lots. Their lifeless architecture shares none of the characteristics of the surrounding houses and storefronts. No more intricate, Victorian-era stonework near rooftops, no more maroon brick that matches your neighbors, and no more creaky rod-iron fences. More housing seems great, but the units are too expensive for you or anyone you know… Shops open up in the neighborhood, but their wares and products are far out of your price range… Your once affordable neighborhood, one of the few in which low-income citizens can reside, is losing its affordability.
The new neighbors, the new business owners, the landlords. They are likely not aware of their impact. Their goal is to rebuild the local economy, live comfortably at a bargain, and experience a ‘clean’ and non-provoking urban life. These are all things you want; it’s your neighborhood. You want to see it thrive. But what if this development doesn’t include you? And what if it pushes you out instead?
This process of wealthy, educated, and often privileged individuals moving into low-income neighborhoods, which are often communities of color, is called gentrification. In this process, original residents who for generations have owned or rented these homes are pushed out of the neighborhood due to rising taxes and housing expenses. As local housing prices become too costly for the working class, these residents are relocated to public housing, notorious in the United States for becoming forgotten and strategically distanced from resources such as public transit, grocery stores, green spaces, and community gathering places.
The social effects of this do not go unnoticed. The mass displacement of original residents and the social shift can slowly eradicate the culture that was established for generations. Particularly for low-income communities, culture is familial to us. Our neighbors are our brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, even when we do not share the same DNA. Our family surpasses any biological science. We are our brothers’ keepers, caretakers, and an intergenerational force to heal, bond, and grow. Our art often does not get the opportunity to hang on a gallery wall. It’s played at the block parties, recorded in your buddy’s basement, posted on your grandma’s refrigerator, and spray-painted on the alley walls. Community-made culture is lost in gentrification, and, as many are displaced, priorities change. For those not original to these neighborhoods, much of the culture is translated into economic and commodity value. Which bars can we hop to? Is there a hip coffee shop to visit? Is there a club, or gallery of notable artists? Places do have important significance, but community culture is lost when it forgets and moves on from the residents within the community. We can only hope they’re asking, “Are there any artists from the neighborhood in this gallery space? Are events free and accessible? Are these business owners from the community?” With so many questions to ask, we should never forget to ask the most important question, “Who, and how is this serving in my community?”
When cultural value shifts from community protection, compassion, and familial growth to an economic and commodity-based priority, there is increased criminalization of the residents original to the neighborhood. Abdallah Fayyad wrote in the 2017 article “The Criminalization of Gentrifying Neighborhoods” that in neighborhoods that are increasing in economic value, especially those in which minorities are being displaced, police are drawn to the neighborhood for higher rates of surveillance and zero-tolerance arrests. And, there is an uptick of gentrifying residents calling the police for a sense of security from their discomfort, often for unnecessary and bias-motivated complaints of a public nuisance.
Low-income areas are already dispositioned to higher rates of patrol, and so the motivator of economic value often only further doubles down this bias from authorities. This leads to increased charges of low-level, non-violent misdemeanor offenses, from loitering to traffic stops. These encounters and alterations lead to greater distrust in the community, especially people of color and those who are experiencing poverty, mental illness, and/or homelessness. So, how can we still revitalize our neighborhood with a better economy, safer streets, more local businesses, new opportunities, and stronger community trust without pushing people out and erasing culture?
The first and foremost rule is “Nothing about us, without us.” Equity and justice come in the form of grassroots change, building opportunities for self-empowerment, and community-led change. We all want a beautiful neighborhood and vibrant, lively culture. The only difference is that some of us have the means and social status to have this. Which, in turn, we must individually assess our role in the community, and the privileges and power we may or may not hold as we invest in communities already striving and advancing for change. City officials, community leaders, philanthropists, landlords, business owners, citizens, change-makers, artists, and organizations alike have the power to promote this positive effort of rejuvenation in a manner that brings no harm to established, low-income residents.
The first step is that we must listen to the community about what should stay, what can go, what is needed to be built, what the future should look like, who needs protection, and who should be collaborated with to achieve change. In our collaborations, we must ensure diversity, understanding, cooperation, compassion, and social and cultural awareness. Through these partnerships, we can integrate solutions for systematic change in our community development without excluding any voices.
Another essential step to revitalization without discrimination is ensuring accessible housing that is resistant to change. Rent caps are a vital part of this mission. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, over half of America is “rent-burdened.” This means that households are spending over 30% of their income on their rent, and 17% pay over 50% of their income. The crisis is even worsening in gentrifying areas. Rent control comes in many forms adaptable to communities, with the basis being that programs will cap annual rent prices, or name the absolute price of a unit. This saves folks from being priced out of their home or overpaying for living conditions. This actually benefits landlords in the form of lower tenant turnover, ensures reliable payments, increases demand, and decreases competition that leads to empty units. In this, we also can’t forget what is driving the spike in housing costs; the lack of housing opportunities. When our cities can invest in affordable public housing that provides resources and dignity to our communities, this regulates housing costs, invites growth, decreases demand, and even encourages mixed-income housing. Mixed-income housing builds community relationships, amenities, local education, and safety while protecting original residents and continuing to grow the community.
Another key aspect of equitable development is making sure it’s sustainable and accounts for an ever-changing climate. In 1987, the Brundtland Commission Report emphasized the importance of “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Low-income communities and communities of color are on the front lines of climate change. We are more prone to the effects of natural disasters, the rising heat index in cities, and the vulnerabilities of public health. We must be mindful of our waste and industries, as high pollutant areas are often placed closest to low-income neighborhoods, plaguing residents with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sustainable actions can be taken on an affordable level that encourages community growth. We can do this through simple city-promoted initiatives such as increased greenspaces to improve mental health, physical health, decrease the city heat index thus conserving energy costs.
However, climate change knows no borders. We need to take this opportunity to advance toward more sustainable industries on a city level not only to assist low-income neighborhoods but for all residents of our region. We can preserve the health of our region and our natural beauty while inviting sustainable, long-term employment. Our community must act in equity, advancing us all, while uplifting those who are often systematically left behind.
In all of this, we must remember our family. Our community culture. In growing, we have the opportunity to not only protect it but let it flourish while our community advances. Through leaders and changemakers investing in local art, especially those who are often not provided the opportunity to exhibit their work, we can grow ourselves and our community. Creativity is an essential step of development, as we must have the beauty of public arts, recognition, storytelling, and the building of compassionate understanding through creativity. Not only does this provide joy, empowerment, and wellbeing- but it creates our home a more desirable place for ourselves, and those who wish to invest in our local businesses.
Using this, we must advocate for the advancement of small business entrepreneurs from our neighborhoods through promoting loan and mentorship opportunities, community attendance and investment, and creative partnerships. We have the power to build community resources, employment, and opportunity. We have the power to start the process of dismantling systemic poverty. We will protect, love, and multiply our community spaces, from community centers to corner stores, to continue to serve the generations to come. Each community deserves dignity, respect, and understanding. In each community, there are aspirations, ambitions, and leaders. Your role in the community is essential to this becoming a reality. Your role is an opportunity for our family to grow larger, beyond biological science.
