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It’s like the city fails the poor twice: first they have to enjoy substandard living conditions, and whenever this changes, they get priced out. Gentrification

It’s like the city fails the poor twice: first they have to enjoy substandard living conditions, and whenever this changes, they get priced out. Gentrification refers specifically to this displacement, and it shouldn’t be hard to understand why this is considered negative. No-one likes to have to move. It’s also an effect of how the housing market works almost anywhere, so it’s not so easy to imagine an alternative within these market economies—a challenge the article doesn’t really touch upon.

PaulHoule 3y ago
What do you think about this development https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/01/22/affordable-housing-lottery-community-preference/ https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/01/22/affordable-housing-lotter... ? Some people think it is not a good thing to give people a preference to stay in the neighborhood they are in because this entrenches racial segregation.
dublinben 3y ago
Gentrification and displacement are distinct concepts, even if they are usually conflated in colloquial usage. Obviously nobody wants to be forced out of 'their neighborhood' if rent is raised, but this isn't an inevitable consequence of improved conditions. This Vox article does a great job explaining possible policies to mitigate this harm, like building more housing, stronger tenant protections, and upzoning wealthy segregated neighborhoods.[0] As you say, existing residents of a neighborhood should be able to enjoy the benefits of increased investment and improved conditions in their neighborhood. [0] https://www.vox.com/22629826/gentrification-definition-housing-racism-segregation-cities https://www.vox.com/22629826/gentrification-definition-housi...
- cassepipe 3y ago
  Thanks for the link. I am not sure I like the article, it seems to be doing a lot of dancing around and have the issue appear more complex than it really is. Saying two concepts are being conflated without explaining the differences sounds a bit... pedant ? And it is because from what I can read, gentrification is when richer people arrive in a place. No wonder why people conflate it with rising prices and displacement of the poor, this is just the "natural" consequence in a market economy where housing is a commodity. Sure, you can (should!) have a policy to mitigate that problem but if you don't, as is usual, it just happens.
- lotsofpulp 3y ago
  > As you say, existing residents of a neighborhood should be able to enjoy the benefits of increased investment and improved conditions in their neighborhood. Is it possible got some of the existing residents to be partly responsible for undesirable conditions? If so, then displacing them seems like a necessary component. Note that I specified “some” residents, and “partly” responsible. A mechanism to cleanly identify and displace only them seems difficult to implement.
aniftythrifrty 3y ago
Being in a big city is supposed to come with opportunities. If people don't take those opportunities and then get priced out, whose fault is that?
- harimau777 3y ago
  Often the fault is that they do not have the resources to take the opportunities or they take the opportunities and still get priced out.
- runako 3y ago
  If you're earnestly curious about this, there is quite a large body of literature specifically about American cities.
hackeraccount 3y ago
Fails twice or can't win - it's hard to figure out which.

PaulHoule 3y ago

What do you think about this development https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/01/22/affordable-housing-lottery-community-preference/ https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/01/22/affordable-housing-lotter... ? Some people think it is not a good thing to give people a preference to stay in the neighborhood they are in because this entrenches racial segregation.

dublinben 3y ago

Gentrification and displacement are distinct concepts, even if they are usually conflated in colloquial usage. Obviously nobody wants to be forced out of 'their neighborhood' if rent is raised, but this isn't an inevitable consequence of improved conditions. This Vox article does a great job explaining possible policies to mitigate this harm, like building more housing, stronger tenant protections, and upzoning wealthy segregated neighborhoods.[0] As you say, existing residents of a neighborhood should be able to enjoy the benefits of increased investment and improved conditions in their neighborhood. [0] https://www.vox.com/22629826/gentrification-definition-housing-racism-segregation-cities https://www.vox.com/22629826/gentrification-definition-housi...

cassepipe 3y ago
Thanks for the link. I am not sure I like the article, it seems to be doing a lot of dancing around and have the issue appear more complex than it really is. Saying two concepts are being conflated without explaining the differences sounds a bit... pedant ? And it is because from what I can read, gentrification is when richer people arrive in a place. No wonder why people conflate it with rising prices and displacement of the poor, this is just the "natural" consequence in a market economy where housing is a commodity. Sure, you can (should!) have a policy to mitigate that problem but if you don't, as is usual, it just happens.
lotsofpulp 3y ago
> As you say, existing residents of a neighborhood should be able to enjoy the benefits of increased investment and improved conditions in their neighborhood. Is it possible got some of the existing residents to be partly responsible for undesirable conditions? If so, then displacing them seems like a necessary component. Note that I specified “some” residents, and “partly” responsible. A mechanism to cleanly identify and displace only them seems difficult to implement.

aniftythrifrty 3y ago

Being in a big city is supposed to come with opportunities. If people don't take those opportunities and then get priced out, whose fault is that?

harimau777 3y ago
Often the fault is that they do not have the resources to take the opportunities or they take the opportunities and still get priced out.
runako 3y ago
If you're earnestly curious about this, there is quite a large body of literature specifically about American cities.

hackeraccount 3y ago

Fails twice or can't win - it's hard to figure out which.