BK Reader, March 22nd, 2019: Brownsville could be next to face gentrification
A new study from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition reveals that Brownsville could be the next neighborhood facing gentrification, reports Patch.
With the report titled “Shifting Neighborhoods,” the Washington, D.C., nonprofit also released an interactive map that shows that parts of Brownsville have already begun gentrifying, while other sections may be up next for the economic shift. The map reveals six Brownsville sections where real estate prices have been on the rise; in some areas they have nearly doubled. Yet, annual salaries on average just increased by $5,0000.
Still, Brownsville has not yet seen the displacement witnessed in Brooklyn neighborhoods most affected by gentrification, such as East Williamsburg, where a big portion of the Hispanic community has been displaced, and Bushwick, which saw a decrease in its black community.
The study, using U.S. Census Bureau and economic data, identified more than 1,000 neighborhoods in 935 cities and towns nationwide where gentrification occurred between 2000 and 2013.
In 230 of those neighborhoods, rapidly rising rents, property values and taxes forced more than 135,000 residents to move away. Seven cities accounted for nearly half of the gentrification nationally: New York City, which ranked third after San Diego and Washington D.C., as well as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Chicago.
The study shows that in the largest cities like NYC, Los Angeles and Chicago, gentrification and displacement were spread out in different neighborhood clusters. In smaller cities, like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore, gentrification was concentrated near downtown business districts.
