Cogency of Gentrification
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Cogency of Gentrification

Discussing the importance of communicating the displacement of people in poverty as a result of urbanization as an issue that needs to be addressed.

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Cogency of Gentrification
https://fee.org/articles/political-privilege-and-class-war-in-the-urban-housing-market/

According to a 2019 study article written by Alyssa Wiltse-Ahmad on Gentrification and Cultural Displacement in American Cities, "Gentrification and displacement of long-time residents was most intense in the nation's biggest cities, and rare in most other places."

Within this study, it was found that"Seven cities accounted for nearly half of the gentrification nationally: New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Diego and Chicago."

Since many often oversimplify the meaning of gentrification merely as neighborhood improvement, by definition, Gentrification is..

"the process of repairing and rebuilding homes and businesses in a deteriorating area (such as an urban neighborhood) accompanied by an influx of middle-class or affluent people and that often results in the displacement of earlier, usually poorer residents"

Researchers have conducted studies on the term and how higher income people move to these areas often to capitalize on the low property values.

"In doing so," as Stacy Sutton states in her Ted Talk, "they inflate property values, displace low income people, and fundamentally alter the culture and character of the neighborhood.

She also states that this process is further confounded by the legacy of racial inequality in America."

Gentrification is commonly viewed as a natural, inevitable process as a result of urbanization and industrialization. But research experts suggest that the eviction and displacement of people from their homes – particularly those of minority races – is, in fact, an issue that can be addressed.

The first step to solving any problem, though is to first acknowledge that there's an issue to be addressed. Misleading article headlines – like that which was produced by an author for Slate news in 2014, create a smokescreen of unfair ideology that prevents society from viewing poverty as an immediate issue.

Although statistically, global poverty rate reached a record low of 10 percent, there are still countries like Africa and the Middle East who haven't been so lucky to see this drop in poverty rates.

Along with this, there are still areas where families of high poverty urban city neighborhoods are seeing a rise in property values that they can't afford.

What happens to them? What happens to those who don't get to enjoy the benefits of gentrification, but rather are hurt or even forced into poverty from urbanization?

Experts suggest that policies can created be created to implement some form of rent control, or some sort of progressive land tax where incremental tax is used to support vulnerable land renters.

Other solutions include the restriction of predatorial investment schemes and speculator investment funds that attract investors to invest in high growth neighborhoods.

More attention needs to be drawn on this as it is a manifestation of the terrible inequality that once was in America. The key to solving this issue is acting early to prevent the eviction/displacement of members within a community. Even if that calls for the community to come together and take action.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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