Is Gentrification a Bad Thing?

[panamaican]

in today's world you can do all the research you need from your phone. you'll be fine. you may have to drive an extra five minutes though. a house is just a house and i'd be shocked if 99% of people actually knew even half their neighbors

A house is not just a house. A house is a home, it's a huge part of people's personal lives. Houses have been in people's families for decades, for generations. People have gotten married in those houses, they raised their kids in those houses, their spouses died in those houses. They knew the kids who grew up down the street, those who did good things and those who didn't. Their kids walked those streets to and from school. They know the local shop owner (although that's not so common these days).

They are memories, not just physical residences. That might be a reflection of your military background where you know that you're not setting down roots anywhere for an extended period of time. But that's not a universal position.

I have dozens of people who come through either of my offices with properties that have had the same owner for 30+ years. Leaving those houses is like leaving behind a part of their family. And you don't have to know half of your neighbors on a 1st name to be a part of that community. You know people by sight, by acquaintance, etc.

It's interesting that you place such little value on these personal components attached to a home.

 

[cincymma79]

A house is not just a house. A house is a home, it's a huge part of people's personal lives. Houses have been in people's families for decades, for generations. People have gotten married in those houses, they raised their kids in those houses, their spouses died in those houses. They knew the kids who grew up down the street, those who did good things and those who didn't. Their kids walked those streets to and from school. They know the local shop owner (although that's not so common these days).

They are memories, not just physical residences. That might be a reflection of your military background where you know that you're not setting down roots anywhere for an extended period of time. But that's not a universal position.

I have dozens of people who come through either of my offices with properties that have had the same owner for 30+ years. Leaving those houses is like leaving behind a part of their family. And you don't have to know half of your neighbors on a 1st name to be a part of that community. You know people by sight, by acquaintance, etc.

It's interesting that you place such little value on these personal components attached to a home.

i was a respiratory therapist for over 10 years and worked in a hospital for 6 before that under different roles, before that navy. i've seen what people will do the moment they are even slightly inconvenienced by family let alone neighbors. i don't like people and i don't trust them. i keep about 5 friends and of course my military buddies are for life. everyone else can fuck off. you move to where the job is

 

[Brodels]

Gentrification is wonderful. Pushes out garbage people who have zero respect for their community.

 

[moreorless87]

I would disagree only because a significant body of research suggests they are not being equally rewarded. Relevant to your example of the workplace is the oft quoted research that indicates that resumes with black names are less likely to get job callbacks than resumes with white names. So while many black Americans are reaping rewards, there's still a large component who are not being rewarded for their trust or their efforts because of racial hang ups. I mean how pissed would you be if you knew that the name your parents gave you would play a role in your ability to get a job, regardless of your qualifications? That would suggest that the trust isn't being rewarded.

This political cycle has not been reassuring to black America. We have various politicians stating outright racist statements about black America, such as that one guy who said that black people have a genetic predisposition to becoming criminals after using marijuana (I might have that quote slightly off).

The oft-repeated rhetoric about lazy, unintelligent black people doesn't build trust.

So while you and other non-racists can say jump on and share in the success, you don't control the institutions either. You share control of those institutions with people who still harbor racist attitudes. Black Americans will continue to try and improve their situation but so long as the institutions are still being directed by individuals who harbor such mindsets, it's hard to say they should "trust" the institutions.

If a man betrays you repeatedly, you're not going to start trusting him just because he says "Look, I've got a new partner and he won't betray you." Well, unless the guy who betrayed you cedes control to the new partner, you're going to need some assurances because "I promise it won't happen again" isn't going to cut it.

You know this - building trust is hard, a lot harder than breaking it. And rebuilding it is even harder.

One significant factor your dealing with as well is that social mobility in the US has been in decline much of the time since the 1980's and especially post 2008 when the Clinton morgage band aid slipped off.

A disparity I often see brought up with racist undertones is the differences between the advancement of feminism and the advancement of racial equality, the former having seen much greater advances in income than the latter. The real issue her for me is simply demonstrating the above, feminism has been more effective because a higher percentage of women come from middleclass backgrounds relative to black or other minorities.

When it comes to gentrification specially I would say the biggest issue is that were seeing housing stock controlled to maximise prices, theres a clear underdevelopment of low cost housing in the US and the UK and its pushing up prices/rents to the level its making income inequality significantly worse. The divide between homer owners and non owners is becoming bigger ever year as the former benefit from price increases and the latter suffer from them.

 

[sub_thug]

I would disagree only because a significant body of research suggests they are not being equally rewarded. Relevant to your example of the workplace is the oft quoted research that indicates that resumes with black names are less likely to get job callbacks than resumes with white names. So while many black Americans are reaping rewards, there's still a large component who are not being rewarded for their trust or their efforts because of racial hang ups. I mean how pissed would you be if you knew that the name your parents gave you would play a role in your ability to get a job, regardless of your qualifications? That would suggest that the trust isn't being rewarded.

This political cycle has not been reassuring to black America. We have various politicians stating outright racist statements about black America, such as that one guy who said that black people have a genetic predisposition to becoming criminals after using marijuana (I might have that quote slightly off).

The oft-repeated rhetoric about lazy, unintelligent black people doesn't build trust.

So while you and other non-racists can say jump on and share in the success, you don't control the institutions either. You share control of those institutions with people who still harbor racist attitudes. Black Americans will continue to try and improve their situation but so long as the institutions are still being directed by individuals who harbor such mindsets, it's hard to say they should "trust" the institutions.

If a man betrays you repeatedly, you're not going to start trusting him just because he says "Look, I've got a new partner and he won't betray you." Well, unless the guy who betrayed you cedes control to the new partner, you're going to need some assurances because "I promise it won't happen again" isn't going to cut it.

You know this - building trust is hard, a lot harder than breaking it. And rebuilding it is even harder.

Is that an issue of race or an issue of preconceived expectation of education levels? If you hear the name "Ben," you're not bringing him in because he's white. You're bringing him in because you think he comes from educated parents. You won't then turn him away because he's black. Freakonomics actually did a chapter on this, and it's a good read if you want.

You talking about Jeff Sessions?

Who is saying this rhetoric? I just haven't heard a ton of it from politicians. Stereotypes are generally pretty stupid, so I don't really keep tabs when someone says one.

So this minority of racists owns the institutions? Why does this minority have a larger say than the majority of us who aren't racist? I would think that the institutions are mostly non-racist, providing lots of opportunities. If there are a few racists there, this could be throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Building trust is hard. But consider the costs and benefits of trust. If you trust in the system, sure, it can burn you. But if you don't, you will pay huge opportunity costs that are almost as bad as getting burned. So why defect?

 

[cottagecheesefan]

Gentrification is wonderful. Pushes out garbage people who have zero respect for their community.

This. So happy my area is being built up. Even happier that it started to happen just after I bought my condo.

Buy a condo
notice area around it started to be torn down and rebuilt
???
Profit

 

[DespicablePeep]

I feel bad for old people, but young people that get payed to move is ok. Unless cities are behind creating rules that run people off by allowing it to be bought under the fair price.

 

[BudKing8806]

You can’t save everyone when working for the greater good. This process helps ensure that future generations won’t be born into slums.

 

[Ice That Jaw]

*If you're stupid, you have no right to post your opinions on policy topics



Wtf?

It's not a purely outward push. Not all residences within a metro area are high property value lofts for yuppies. There are sprawling, largely black, post-industrial communities that have been there for decades, include low rental costs, and lack the financial means to relocate, and whose properties have often over time been consolidated under predatory property tycoons who purposefully let the renters' properties go to shit to lower adjacent property costs and increase the profit margins for redevelopment. So value is often literally destroyed for the poor to parlay into increased value for the rich. Is this value creation in classical economic sense? Sure, but it's hardly compassionate policy.

I'm not sure how you count yourself "one of them."

I know about those people. They are the ghetto blacks living in projects in prime DC real estate. I drive past these blocks everytime I go to a bar or out to eat in the city. I don't live downtown but if I did I would want them out regardless of the reason. The city has no use for them.

 

[Trotsky]

I know about those people. They are the ghetto blacks living in projects in prime DC real estate. I drive past these blocks everytime I go to a bar or out to eat in the city. I don't live downtown but if I did I would want them out regardless of the reason. The city has no use for them.

We aren't talking about projects, bucko. Projects are publicly funded/subsidized housing.

We're talking about long-term private renters. I thought that was obvious. But I should have expected I'd need to baby feed the topic to someone who is openly contemptuous of "ghetto blacks" and claims to know them by virtue of knowing of them.

 

[liljoe]

The US is being changed fundamentally with immigration. As is Europe. If we can't keep our culture and demographics then boo fucking whoo to Chinatown concerning gentrification.

"Our demographics" LOL.

So full of shit.

 

[lifelessheap]

"Our demographics" LOL.

So full of shit.

I live in California and am old enough to have seen entire neighborhoods turn into Mexico. My grandparents neighborhood was beautiful and safe, but 35 years later it is a barrio.

So I don't care if people gentrify areas and actually make them BETTER.