Is Gentrification a Bad Thing?

[Steve-French]

I was channel surfing and came across Boyz n the Hood. It's one of those movies I'll usually watch when it happens to be on television. There is the famous scene with Laurence Fishburne breaking down gentrification and while I get what he means a lot of this seems like bullshit.



Isn't this just capitalism? I also don't see what is wrong with taking a run down area and putting money into it to bring it back to life. In the video above he blames the powers that be for putting gun and liquor stores on every corner. I'm not denying the fact that there are some systemic issues, but shouldn't the community share the majority of the responsibility and be happy when a neighborhood starts getting cleaned up?

I can see it being an issue if the rent starts getting too high thus forcing the residents to move, but isn't that just life? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see it as a conspiracy, just people with money capitalizing on other peoples fuck ups.

 

[Fedorable]

It worked for the bears.

 

[Amerikuracana]

It's a rotted area with too much crime being improved in 80% of the ways possible, made worse 10%, and kept the same 10%.

 

[lifelessheap]

If it is a shithole it is because of evil white flight. If money is put into the area to make it nice and safe it is because of evil white people gentrifying it.

I mean, if black people were investing in ghettos nobody would care.

 

[Quequeg]

Good for the rich, bad for the poor

 

[Madmick]

Not if you want to lead a higher quality of life or enrich your property values, it sure isn't.

 

[nac386]

Gentrification has positives and negatives.

The positives are for landowners, and the hipsters that want to move into the city. Suddenly more of the city is accessible and reasonably safe. Usually gentrifying areas are still relatively affordable and you can do fairly well if you buy a home there and hold on to it for a few years.

The negatives are for the people who have always lived in the gentrifying area who do not own their homes, and will eventually be forced to leave their own neighborhood when they can no longer afford rent.

If you do not own your home, which many people do not, it is a bad thing when property value dramatically increases. Suddenly you are an undesirable in your own neighborhood. Why would a slumlord continue renting your home to you when a young professional would pay double?

 

[Revolver]

Who cares about what's bad for poor people.

 

[lifelessheap]

Gentrification has positives and negatives.

The positives are for landowners, and the hipsters that want to move into the city. Suddenly more of the city is accessible and reasonably safe. Usually gentrifying areas are still relatively affordable and you can do fairly well if you buy a home there and hold on to it for a few years.

The negatives are for the people who have always lived in the gentrifying area who do not own their homes, and will eventually be forced to leave their own neighborhood when they can no longer afford rent.

If you do not own your home, which many people do not, it is a bad thing when property value dramatically increases. Suddenly you are an undesirable in your own neighborhood. Why would a slumlord continue renting your home to you when a young professional would pay double?

Shouldn't everyone be affected by supply and demand? So people have to move? So fucking what. They can move somewhere else to live in squalor.

 

[Bamboozled]

No, because if it's gonna be gentrified chances are it was a shithole before.

 

[Fedorable]

Gentrification has positives and negatives.

The positives are for landowners, and the hipsters that want to move into the city. Suddenly more of the city is accessible and reasonably safe. Usually gentrifying areas are still relatively affordable and you can do fairly well if you buy a home there and hold on to it for a few years.

The negatives are for the people who have always lived in the gentrifying area who do not own their homes, and will eventually be forced to leave their own neighborhood when they can no longer afford rent.

If you do not own your home, which many people do not, it is a bad thing when property value dramatically increases. Suddenly you are an undesirable in your own neighborhood. Why would a slumlord continue renting your home to you when a young professional would pay double?

fair points.

good for black home owners, but If you don't own something, you often don't have a say on what is done with that something.
I can sympathize with those renting the houses, but believe in the owner's right to their property.

 

[JonnyRingo84]

I was channel surfing and came across Boyz n the Hood. It's one of those movies I'll usually watch when it happens to be on television. There is the famous scene with Laurence Fishburne breaking down gentrification and while I get what he means a lot of this seems like bullshit.



Isn't this just capitalism? I also don't see what is wrong with taking a run down area and putting money into it to bring it back to life. In the video above he blames the powers that be for putting gun and liquor stores on every corner. I'm not denying the fact that there are some systemic issues, but shouldn't the community share the majority of the responsibility and be happy when a neighborhood starts getting cleaned up?

I can see it being an issue if the rent starts getting too high thus forcing the residents to move, but isn't that just life? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see it as a conspiracy, just people with money capitalizing on other peoples fuck ups.

in the long run its good for the neighborhood imo. but it brings change, and change always leaves some people out, while benefiting others.

but

it can cause home values to increase to the point where the traditional families who lived there for generations, can no longer afford. it can make people feel as if their heritage is being stolen. white people buying chinese art museums in NYC chinatown for example. some ethnic chinese people there probably dont care, but some of those people are furious.

 

[cincymma79]

This is my house I’m not paying for, how dare you sell it

 

[Satsui Ryu]

When gentrification affects poor people its good, when it starts affecting the middle class it goes from being called gentrification to a "housing crisis." Essentially its good when it doesn't affect you.

 

[Swing]

When gentrification affects poor people its good, when it starts affecting the middle class it goes from being called gentrification to a "housing crisis." Essentially its good when it doesn't affect you.

Occasionally the Giant Bomb (a video game site) guys will talk about the cost of living they have to deal with as a result of being based in San Francisco. Can't say I'd be interested in sharing the experience.

 

[Prime Rib]

Pushes poor people to the side and makes them live in shittier places.

Yay.

 

[panamaican]

Depends on which community you're a part of. If you're part of community that's moving in, it's fine. If you're part of the community that's getting broken up it's not so fine.

And, no, that's not about the money. It's about the aspect of seeing your community broken up for things that you have no control over.

 

[Ice That Jaw]

When it comes to metropolitan areas, I don't give a shit about those negatively affected because I am one of them. It is the way it is. I would love to live in downtown DC or Arlington but it would be financially irresponsible so I live further west, about 25 miles out where a 6 figure salary can actually buy you a decent home.

 

[Sharon Peters]

When it comes to metropolitan areas, I don't give a shit about those negatively affected because I am one of them. It is the way it is. I would love to live in downtown DC or Arlington but it would be financially irresponsible so I live further west, about 25 miles out where a 6 figure salary can actually buy you a decent home.

I found one of the old brick row houses in the now gentrified portion of south east for 275k back in 2008...I didn't buy it.

Not too happy about that decision.

 

[cincymma79]

Depends on which community you're a part of. If you're part of community that's moving in, it's fine. If you're part of the community that's getting broken up it's not so fine.

And, no, that's not about the money. It's about the aspect of seeing your community broken up for things that you have no control over.

If you’re a renter you have no right to complain