Washington Post: Gentrification... stuff happens
Look what I found in my paper.The long and short of it is that gentrification is not part of any great super plan by the Man. The author described how some folks lost their home because one place was mortgaged to the gills and had to be sold and another was lost because the owner did not pay his taxes. On my own block, several of the houses were investments for landlords, and let me remind people that landlords are not, I repeat not, non-profit social services. Landlords are landlords to make money and if a property gets to a point where it is more profitable to fix it up (or give the impression that it is fixed up) and sell it than rent it, what do you think they are going to do? Wait, I'm digressing a bit....
On my block, the instances that black residents were replaced by white residents:
1- Sold because they could get better housing for their family in the burbs
2- Sold because taxes were too high
3- Sold because house was too big of a burden and beyond owner's means
4- Sold because property was a rental (investor)
5- Sold because of job/ significant other in another place
Basically the owners sold their property. Those who got really screwed were the renters. But still no solo Man with a plan. However, if you do find the Man, tell him to do something about North Capitol and if he could cut down on crime that would be good too.
Update: Fixed bad link
posted by Mari @ 24.10.05
5 Comments:
Regardless of The Plan, DC still remains Chocolate City. Last fall when I was in the Extremely White North of Alaska on vacation, I had to find BET on my hotel cable TV because I was homesick.
And even for white renters in DC with a university salary, living in The District is financially challenging. I don't want to move to the 'burbs, and am not ready to buy, so I'm considering moving to another, more affordable city if things don't level out soon.
I generally agree with the article also. I will point out that not all the newcomers are white - the majority probably. And as to the last comment, yes, many of the areas of NW are more expensive now - but there are other parts of the City. You may not afford a trendy area, but there are lots cheap places that are safe.
Yes, my bad, and I should know better being one of the black newcomers, but we blend in so well with the old population. There are other middle class blacks in my neighborhood but they got here a bit before me and in most cases I'm not sure about what was the state of their property before they bought it.
not your bad - Mr. Nicholson's. I live in Takoma (well, for another few weeks) and at least on my block the new comers are not all white.
p.s. I am actually moving to Shaw next month, but not as a homeowner - yet. I will just cite 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for my relocation.
Gentrification is like the blob. When hoods are revitalized and handed back to the original residents I'm all for that. When they just rape the cultural of a neighborhood like they did U street, i abhor it and i know little if nothing about DC. The gays and poor folks are being chased out of my neighborhood as condo prices surpass 500K. But at least it's not racial.
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