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Be aware of unintended consequences of improving neighborhoods. If poor people can't afford to live in nice neighborhoods, and we transform their surroundings
by twblalock 10y ago
Be aware of unintended consequences of improving neighborhoods.
If poor people can't afford to live in nice neighborhoods, and we transform their surroundings into nice neighborhoods, they won't be able to afford to stay. Richer people will move in and drive up the prices.
These effects are likely to be amplified in towns with high demand for housing and low supply.
- OrwellianChild 10y agoI think a lot can be learned from inverting the spin of the advice you are proposing... What you are saying is: "Leave neighborhoods unpleasant so only poor people want to live in them." Looking at it this way gets at the heart of the problem with this way of thinking. Can I suggest a counter point? Solve the systemic issues that prevent low-income people from seeking good housing, rather than advocating to keep them in their place.
- twblalock 10y agoYour interpretation changes the meaning of what I said, and it is uncharitable at best. I never advocated keeping the poor "in their place." I just pointed out that unintended consequences can occur in these kinds of situations.
- Chris2048 10y agoHow is the above not the implication though? At least if a neighborhood changes, there is a chance a % of poor locals are able to profit from it and stay.
- twblalock 10y agoSaying that one should be careful when trying to help people is not the same as saying that one should not help those people at all.