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Running head: GENTRIFICATION IN NEW YORK 1

GENTRIFICATION IN NEW YORK 5

Gentrification in New York

Elyes Ouechtati

DeVry University

Advanced CompositionUniversity (ENGL 135)

Professor: Elliot Touretz

Gentrification in New York

Gentrification refers to the arrival of affluent residents into a neighborhood. The influx of wealthier citizens results in new investments that do not benefit the original residents but rather work on pricing them out. It has caused the displacement of the original residents. The displacement arises when rent or property taxes are raised to increase the demand for houses. Gentrification is a problem that has impacted everyone across the country. Gentrification uproots the urban poor with high taxes and rents. In the City of New York, Gentrification is pushing out old-time residents while making everything very expensive. Over 12% of neighborhoods in the region are gentrifying, while almost 9% are experiencing displacement (Roda, 2020, p. 10). It is an issue that has been progressing over the years. It has greatly affected towns that want to be commercialized and urbanized.

Gentrification is viewed as a way of diluting the vibrant ethnic neighborhoods into something uninteresting. However, it is taken to present a model of the predicted outcome expected to occur in all the cities eventually. It has exploded in suburban/rural areas of the country, especially in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, etc. There is a need to ensure that Affordable Housing is available everywhere not to be priced out of their neighborhoods.

In addressing the problem of Gentrification, cities should be identified more as public rather than private goods. In solving the problem brought by gentrification, the issue of displacement must be dealt with. One way to fix the issue would be by expanding affordable housing across the City and encouraging disincentivizing the new construction. The influx of

new citizens in New York City creates demand for additional housing. The City should apply Affordable Housing Development as one of the key priorities in increasing housing units. The provision of these units would help reduce the displacement of the low-income earners from the City. Universal rent stabilization usually limits the amount on the yearly rent increase but does not cap rents. Since the newly constructed apartments would create their base rent, they will be able to generate a return on investment and would be able to adjust with inflation.

The City of New York could also apply Re-zoning to solve displacement as a result of Gentrification. This would help the City regulate every aspect of construction, including shape, height, and aesthetics. Due to Gentrification, Zoning has been introduced in New York City to improve people's lives. Zoning ends up creating a population cap, which is the maximum number of people within the City (Davis, 2021, p. 50). As a result of Zoning, the City is experiencing a slow growth rate. Restricting new houses in New York City has forced the newcomers and original residents to compete for housing. This often results in the displacement of low-income earners. Re-zoning would be the best way to increase the development of new housing units and provide for the new residents. It would reduce displacement in New York City. Both the high and low-income earners greatly reject Re-zoning due to the effects it is associated with. For the idea of Rezoning accepted, various policies have to be implemented to make it beneficial to the residents. Re-zoning usually destroys the historic and aesthetic character of the City.

Rent stabilization and lowering of property taxes in New York City could play a big role in solving displacement. The City should expand rent stabilization to include all tenants. This

move would not decrease rent but would extend protection to all tenants and reduce displacement. The City of New York has been essentially increasing everyone's rent. Property tax usually increases along with the rent increase. If the rent is stabilized, the property tax will also be forced to stabilize. The property tax stabilization will work as tax relief to the tenants in New York City.

Being one of the most progressive cities in the United States, the City of New York is the best positioned to fix the problems caused by Gentrification. The question is not whether the problem is solvable but whether we are up to the task of solving it. The new influx of people and developments in the City can improve the lives of the people living in New York City. Affordable housing might be the best solution if the government gives private home developers/landlords tax breaks to take on tenants who need affordable housing. This might be ineffective in reducing displacement in the City without including other measures like rent stabilization and lowering of property taxes. However, the City of New York is powerless when it comes to combating gentrification as the power is mainly restricted to the state Government.

The New York City Council and Legislature have made significant progress in decreasing displacement, but clearly, there is a lot to be accomplished. People need to vote and demand their current political representatives to take care of everyone in their neighborhoods by ensuring everyone has an affordable place to live. To make any real progress in halting the displacement of New York's vulnerable, the office of the New York Governor should invest and support Affordable housing and other measures.

References

Davis, J. (2021). How do upzonings impact neighborhood demographic change? Examining the link between land use policy and gentrification in New York City. Land Use Policy, 103, 105347.

Roda, A. (2020). "Holding the Line": Investigating How Urban School Leaders' Respond to Gentrification in New York City Schools. Urban Education, 0042085920959137.