It's not "gentrification" we're upset with. We like nice things too!
Minority communities across Houston are at risk. Loose planning restrictions have allowed developers with deep pockets to buy neighborhoods by the block. People in these neighborhoods may not know what gentrification is but they can feel it. Monuments of otherness, in the form of townhomes and trendy coffee shops, have popped up in spaces where historic brick homes and corner barber shops used to be. Residents may not know what gentrification is but they can feel it. The loss of John Singleton brings to mind the first time I heard the term. In a scene from his film classic, Boyz in the Hood, Laurence Fishburne takes two youths to the hood and describes outsiders buying the neighborhood, raising property values and pushing out residents.
Twenty years later this scene is still playing itself out in vulnerable communities. The housing crisis in the early 2000s, rejuvenated interest in urban city centers and ushered in the gentrification phenomenon across the country. A combination of factors including foreclosures and attractive rates for investors kickstarted the economic cycle of migration, or “white flight” which happens every 20 to 30 years. The “white flight” cycle is characterized by families moving to the suburbs in search of space and amenities only to later downsize and prioritize shorter commutes and the excitement of the city center years later. Those without an excess of disposable income more often than not find themselves in a reactionary survival position as a result. The scene may be the same but a few of the players have changed.
Young professional minorities now find themselves, unwittingly or not, as key deciders in the direction their former neighborhoods will evolve. Some recognize that the neighborhoods they grew up in are vulnerable, but thanks to student loan debt, can’t afford to move back. Others have the income but are torn between moving outside the city where they can get more for the money and investing, sometimes haphazardly, in the area. There is also an institutional backdrop with government, nonprofits and academia creating plans, reports and policy that influence community dynamics.
To be sure, there are benefits to revitalization and economic development. Improved property value and business in the area positively impacts surrounding schools, and quality of life among other things. Thoughtful engagement and tactical urbanism can ensure transference of these benefits to existing residents rather than newcomers looking to capitalize. Gentrification is a complex phenomenon that has plagued minority communities for years. If there is an opportunity to safeguard the cultural value in these neighborhoods it must be explored before it’s too late. This means expanding conversations beyond the walls of city hall or ivy-covered universities to the places where community and cultural identity have always been. The hood.
