The Harms of Gentrification

In this Op-Ed, Iman Janmohamed argues that gentrification causes more harm than good, as marginalised groups are driven away from affordable housing and shops. This article provides different examples of gentrification - from clothing to property, and recognises the socioeconomic impacts of each. Read about student Gabe Elliot's experience with gentrification, and why he feels it has harmed his community.

Gentrification is the process of making a person or activity more refined. In modern-day society, gentrification can be seen everywhere from real estate to clothing. Societal change is inevitable, however, gentrification harms those who are low-income, and further estranges predominantly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) neighbourhoods and communities. Gentrification has been a topic of debate for policymakers and politicians in North America, especially in the United States.

The gentrification of real estate occurs when “communities experience an influx of capital and concomitant goods and services in locales where those resources were previously non-existent or denied.” This showcases that gentrification occurs when wealthy individuals invest and become involved in low-income communities and neighbourhoods.

However, gentrification can aid in the development of less affluent neighbourhoods through “rapid economic investment, and the support of projects related to consumption and entertainment.” In turn, this can encourage the construction and development of schools, hospitals, and other businesses.

In the eyes of pro-gentrification advocators, the gentrified development of low-income areas leads to the “undoing of the ‘white flight’". The “white flight” occurred in the mid-1900s, as white people migrated away from diverse areas that had BIPOC inhabitants. Some argue this “undoing of the ‘white flight’” contributes to the white saviour complex, as individuals believe they are benefitting a community, when they are actually causing the displacement of poorer people. Those impacted by the gentrification of real estate are typically low-income individuals of colour, and mainly the elderly. Although some believe that gentrification allows urban areas to thrive through new investments, developments, and jobs. the positive impacts of gentrification are relatively few and far between.

Gentrification alienates the inhabitants of these areas, sometimes allowing for a form of “ethnic cleansing”. In the United States of America, nearly 20 percent of low-income areas have experienced gentrification since 2000. The highest levels of real estate and neighbourhood gentrification in North America can be seen in San Francisco, New York City, and Vancouver. This can lead to the “dilution of vibrant ethnic neighbourhoods into something that is bland and uninteresting.”

As real estate is gentrified, housing prices increase which can often oust the communities who lived there beforehand. Tenants who do not leave their community are subject to coercion, evictions, and buyouts. In simple terms, their neighbourhood, and further, their home, is no longer theirs. In some cases, gentrification can result in discriminatory behaviour, influenced by the goal of “undoing of the ‘white flight’”. Thus, BIPOC are driven from newly-gentrified areas.

Gabe Elliot, a rising sophomore studying Political Science at the University of Alberta, has witnessed the impacts of gentrification firsthand. Elliot stated that “Gentrification hurts people by exacerbating existing inequalities." He explains that gentrification in his own “backyard” allows “moneyed interests like outside businesses or corporations” to raise costs in an area until it is “impossible for original residents to remain”. Elliot continues, “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve watched the historically lower-value east part of [Whyte Avenue, Edmonton] begin to fill up with expensive grocery stores, yoga studios, [and] restaurants that have forced older businesses in the area to close.”

The “new-wave” of gentrification can be seen in pop culture, as the reselling of thrifted clothing at an inflated price allows individuals to make a profit while "buying" others "out". This trend is becoming increasingly popular on social media, and the reselling of previously-afforable clothing on channels such as Depop allows for individuals to gentrify clothing while earning a profit. Thrifting has undoubtedly gone mainstream; it’s relatively cheap and environmentally conscious. However, those who genuinely need to shop at such stores are left with no viable or afforable options. This reselling of secondhand items forces thrift stores to raise their prices, as many customers are opting to buy clothing from Depop, rather than a traditional thrift shop. Prior to this "gentrification", thrifting has been seen as "dirty and lower class", yet this perception is dashed once clothes are marked up and sold on alternative platforms. Suddenly, secondhand clothing is considered, not only acceptable, but mainstream.

The gentrification of clothing occurs when higher-class individuals buy and sell second-hand clothing for profit, as lower-income individuals are forcibly displaced - effectively in the same way those are ousted from properties. Others and forced out of certain thrift stores as it simply is too expensive. Further, this inflation is not just the fault of resellers like those on Depop, but in the thrift stores themselves. Thrift stores raise prices to take advantage of the growing amount of resellers that shop at thrift stores, while individuals who rely on thrift stores are “priced out”.

Ultimately, lower-income individuals are forcibly displaced from certain thrift stores - in a similar way to those removed from properties. However, this inflation is not just the fault of resellers like those on Depop, but of the store-owners themselves. They raise prices to take advantage of the growing amount of resellers that shop at thrift shops, while individuals who rely on such stores are “priced out”.

Gentrification may be perceived as positive due to the standout economic development that it triggers, however large numbers of people are negatively impacted by a change in economy and culture. The wealthier newcomers often invoke this change, while the residents and regular shoppers are neglected.

Ultimiately, this by-product of colonialism allows for the diminishment of low-income neighbourhoods of colour while allowing BIPOC culture to become white-washed. #

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