Introduction
Since the concept of gentrification was coined in 1964, it has received significant attention in social, political and economic debates. The term which refers to the movement of middle-class individuals to a formally working class neighborhood has received both supporting and opposing argument in the mainstream media, academics, and the public space. The process of gentrification involves the renovation of a residential area or district to conform to the taste of incoming middle-class citizens, leading to increased rent rates and property prices in the area (Kohn 298). As a result of gentrification, low-income earners are displaced from their communities because they cannot afford the new rates. While supporters of gentrification may argue that the phenomenon leads to safer neighborhoods, increased investment, augmented profits, and increased value, its negative effects such as residential displacement, exclusion, homogenization, unfairness, and polarization of local communities cause more harm than benefits.
Residential and Economic Eviction
One of the most compelling argument against gentrification is residential and economic eviction. When a residential area is gentrified so that the values of property increases, the prices of commodities, and property taxes and rental payments surge. Consequently, the low-income earners within the area will experience high cost of living and they are forced by such circumstances to move out to areas where they can afford houses and commodities. Although the movement of poor people from a gentrified neighborhood is voluntary, the gentrification process causes economic eviction by making life too expensive for the people to continue residing in the area. According to Kohn (302), displaced members of the society lose their social ties with members of their communities. The displacement of members of society leads to loss of self-esteem and motivation for members of the displaced communities because the affected people lose everything they have built for a long time. When members of the community who have lived all their lives in a gentrified area are displaced, they lose the social connections, economic activities, and political associations. As a result, some of the poor members of society may eventually suffer from chronic levels of poverty, depression, and social dysfunctions.
Retaliation and Conflicts
The second argument for gentrification is that the phenomenon can cause retaliation and conflicts among various social classes. People are often protective of their homes, properties, and social values. When gentrification occurs, the residents of the gentrified region may try to resist the associated changes. For example, residents who cannot afford the changes required to comply with new changes may protest and retaliate, leading to arson and vandalism. Furthermore, members of the low-class society who face eviction may develop hatred against the incoming middle-class citizens. Such disparities and conflicts between the middle class and low class causes social instabilities and unfair treatment of poor people in society. Atkinson (114) also suggests that gentrification causes resentment and social conflicts among members of the community. This problem undermines the intended reduction of crime associated with poor neighborhoods.
Inflation of Prices
Gentrification also causes inflation of prices as investors try to take advantage of the property values in the gentrified region. Rent-control mechanisms are often used in such circumstances to protect tenants from exorbitant rents, but landlords use various market mechanisms to keep prices high and intimidate working-class tenants to leave the area and give room for middle-class tenants who can pay higher prices (Atkinson 114). The loss of affordable homes causes increased misery and psychological problems to the low-income earners. The increase in speculative housing prices of investors also leads to homelessness among poor families, and causes new social problems to a large number of people in society. The gentrified communities also experience changes to local services and policies as the middle-class individuals entering the region start lobbying and influencing decision making. The social patterns of the gentrified neighborhoods also change from a socially disparate to affluent societies, and from heterogeneous and diverse communities to a homogenous environment dominated by middle-income earners.
Advantages of Gentrification
There are also several advantages of gentrification which should be recognized. First, gentrification leads to increased social and economic values in the gentrified communities. Middle-income earners with more income to spend bring in increased commercial activities. Gentrification attracts investments and business activities as entrepreneurs and business people seek new markets with higher potential of profits (Matthews 2016). Due to increased purchasing power of the new residents in the gentrified area, the demand for goods and services increases, leading to a higher number of businesses in the area. Surging levels of commercial activities and price levels lead to increased value of the area, as land prices and rent rates rise significantly. In this regard, the economic value of the region increases, leading to higher levels of economic growth in the local community and the country (Matthews 2016). Moreover, improved business and investment leads to larger amounts of taxes collected from the area. In this regard, local and federal government will get more revenue to spend in development projects and provision of social services to poor people.
Some supporters of gentrification also argue that gentrification reduces crime rates and promotes safe neighborhoods. Gentrification often takes place in residential areas in the outskirts of urban towns and cities, where workers live. These areas are often characterized by high rates of crime and poverty. When gentrification occurs in these areas, the metropolitan region becomes safer as working-class citizens move out of the region (Matthews 2016). Consequently, more middle-class members are drawn into the region. These people boost the local economy and help stabilize the metropolis. A more stable urban area becomes a center of commerce, leading to high investment and economic growth of the local communities.
Gentrification also promotes preservation of local history and leads to creativity. One of the initial steps of gentrification is the declaration of a neighborhood as a historical site. The local municipality develops regulations that prevent urban decay and enhance general aesthetics and cultural heritage (Brassuell 2016). In this case, the residents of the area play a significant role in maintaining the reclaimed communities and promoting the needs of every individual in the society. The rehabilitation of a neighborhood also enhances security in a potentially unstable region and beautifies homes and communities.
Conclusion
Although gentrification clearly has some advantages, the harm caused to the native inhabitants of the gentrified area outweigh all economic and social benefits enjoyed by the incoming residents. Gentrification leads to the displacement of people, which causes injustice to poor people who cannot afford the increased prices of houses. The process might improve the economic potential and social values of the region, but such advantages occur at the expense of the livelihoods of several people who have built the neighborhood for a long time. Rent control might also help to minimize the miseries of the people, but the market power of a middle class society will eventually push poor people away. Furthermore, the argument that gentrification causes safer communities is not necessarily true because the process sometimes causes conflicts between the incoming people and the original inhabitants of the land, causing more crime. Therefore, gentrification is bad for society, unless it is achieved through the actions of the local people who do not have to leave their homes.
References
Atkinson, Rowland G. The evidence on gentrification impacts: Lessons for the urban renaissance? European Journal of Housing Policy, 4.1 (2004): 107-131.
Brassuell, James. How to Counter Argue 5 Common Myths about Gentrification. Planetizen, June 13, 2016.
Kohn, Margaret. What is wrong with gentrification? Urban Research " Practice, 6.3 (2013): 297-310.
Matthews, Chris. “Debunking the Gentrification Myth.” Fortune, Fortune, 29 July 2016, fortune.com/2016/07/29/gentrification-housing-prices/.
