“Gentrification” and other Oppositions to Development

I agree with the spirit of JB Manin’s recent letter to our community. However, he brings up gentrification issues in the 3rd Ward of Houston. I submit that the issues there are very different from ours. In that case State Representative Garnet Coleman is attempting to preserve a black neighborhood that has roots in segregated Houston. The 19th Ward prides itself on a rich history of eschewing segregation and embracing diversity. The 19WCA’s mission is “To create a conscious multi-racial community where individual and cultural differences are celebrated and where people share a sense of community.” This idea is 40+ years old. I think people demonize gentrification by attaching the idea of displacement to it. In fact, there is evidence that gentrification keeps current residents in a neighborhood. In other words, if our neighborhood is not restored and upgraded many of us will move...even if we aren’t willing to admit it. And gentrification can foster increased diversity.

As for the other concerns I think they are significant but not necessarily valid. I went and looked at some of the areas complaining about potential reduced view of the river. Imagine my surprised when I found that they do not have a view of the river now! As for parking and traffic congestion, with the addition of a sizable hotel and a popular coffee shop in that area I have not witnessed any traffic or parking problems. Apparently the developer accounted for this. As for use of the riverfront, the “public” will use it when there are reasons to be there. I have always used the bike path. I find the experience much more enjoyable since development. It is more safe, more scenic, and there are actually other people there!

As I said I agree with JB. I agree that we need to stay vigilant and support dialogue. I also think that most people hate change and will object on the face of it.

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Permalink Reply by DeWain Feller on October 21, 2009 at 10:54pm

While gentrification is a real issue in cities that have overheated real estate prices and strong development pressures, there is no substantial threat of gentrification in the 19th Ward (and in most of the city). Our real estate prices are so depressed that most of us would lose if we had to move to a region with normal or heated real estate prices (almost to the point that we would be in the financial position of a first-time home buyer). We need to have our property values increased. While rising property values would also result in higher property taxes, that would be more than offest by the value of the increase in our home value and home equity.

One could make an argument that rising property values could result in some renters to no longer being able to afford to live in the neighborhood. My perspective (given the real estate prices in our neighborhood) is that the problem here is not that property values are too high, but rather that incomes are too low.

Having large swaths of neighborhoods with house values are less than $45,000 is simply not sustainable. This does not make housing affordable, it results in housing that is progressively deteriorating (as it is difficult for an owner to justify the costs of routine expenses such as repainting, let alone major costs such as new roofs).

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Permalink Reply by Mark Sweetland on October 21, 2009 at 11:16pm

I agree entirely. Yet I put on a new roof two years ago, and I had the house repainted. I went into my savings to do this, as the house needs to be maintained. Maybe if more area residents did this, the housing values would go up.

My income is too low to allow this, but I did it anyway, as I will not allow maintenence to slip. The neighborhood cannot or it will loose even more in value.

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Permalink Reply by DeWain Feller on October 25, 2009 at 9:53pm

I agree with you, Mark. I put a new roof on our house when was unemployed, and we had to use savings to do it. A big part of the problem with depressed prices in our neighborhood has to do with lack of value than many place on the importance of maintaining their property, and I believe that a major part of that problem is that the City of Rochester has had very lax code enforcement for years.

However, back to the issue of gentrification, it simply is not accurate to say that gentrification is a real threat given our property values. We are nowhere close to the point where a rise in property values would really make housing unaffordable. A rise in property values might change the status quo, but that would be a good thing.