why gentrification is controversial
gentrification has become controversial because historically it has come with a significant component of discrimination against racial minorities women and children the poor and older adults even as it may bring about a reversal in the decline of a city displacement caused by gentrification can force prior residents into poorer and relatively unsafe areas with limited access to affordable housing healthy food choices and social networks in turn this can trigger increased stress levels and decreased mental health according to the centers for disease control and prevention cdc vulnerable segments of the population are at increased risk for negative health effects of gentrification such as shorter life expectancies and increased rates of cancer diabetes and cardiovascular disease 2displacement often leads to the exclusion of the original residents particularly people of color and a lack of government support for low income housing assistance for example as well as weakened social and community ties 2a 2019 study by the national community reinvestment coalition found that between 2000 and 2013 seven of the biggest u s cities new york city los angeles washington d c philadelphia baltimore san diego and chicago accounted for nearly half of the country s gentrification 3the causes of gentrificationan oft cited study by the brookings institution center on urban and metropolitan policy highlights some of the factors that contribute to gentrification 4one way to combat pricing people out of affordable housing a form of housing discrimination is a community land trust clt these are private non profit organizations that own land on behalf of a community promoting housing affordability and sustainable development and mitigating historical inequities in homeownership and wealth building challenging long held viewssome research challenges certain long held views about the negative effects of gentrification in a july 2019 paper researchers at the federal reserve bank of philadelphia and the u s census bureau found that gentrification can create some important benefits for original residents and few observable harms 5