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Malisa Blankenship

Professor Hellmers

ENG 1201-B57

14 April 2019

Annotated Bibliography

My essay will focus on defining gentrification, explaining the impacts it has on

communities, and detailing how we can mitigate its negative effects. I want to know the

history of gentrification. I aim to find out the cause of it and the details on how it affects

individuals who experience it. Lastly, I want to propose a solution on how to lessen its

negative effects through legislation.

Block, Daniel. "Gentrification isn't a universal problem. Democrats would do well to

remember that." ​Washingtonpost.com​, 5 Mar. 2019. ​Opposing Viewpoints in

Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A577356558/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&

xid=eb4f9e47. Accessed 6 April 2019.

In Daniel Block’s Washington Post article, solutions to the overlooked decline of

Middle American metropolitan areas are proposed. Block begins his article by noting

that candidates for the 2020 election have made gentrification and the housing crisis a

top issue to tackle. The current proposals, offering financial assistance to low-income

renters and encouraging development in communities where housing is scarce, are

claimed to be a short-term solutions to a much larger problem. Block explains that the
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large coastal cities are experiencing gentrification due to a majority of the nation's

largest corporations being headquartered in these regions. Thus creating an area

saturated with educated professionals who flocked to these cities to work for these

companies. This, in turn, causes the city to thrive, leaving the rest of the nation lacking

the same economic opportunities.

To solve this disparity and even out the playing field, Block suggests we look at

policies corporations had to adhere to in the past. These policies ensured that

companies headquartered in large metropolitan areas couldn’t monopolize the market

and ​“snatch[sic] capital and talent away from everywhere else”. This not only creates a

healthy competition between businesses but spreads out the opportunities to ensure

middle America gets a fair chance. By giving educated professionals more options on

where to live, dispersing, rather than concentrating wealth, communities can grow

alongside these businesses, rather than be displaced by them.

This article’s purpose is to emphasize the importance of creating inclusive

policies that not only address the impacts in large cities but incorporate the smaller and

neglected metropolitan areas. Due to the fact that we are quickly approaching the next

presidential election, this article speaks to future voters and points out how candidates

should look to our past to solve issues we face today, rather than propose bandaid

solutions. This urges the reader to seek a candidate who has long-term results in mind

when presenting legislation to resolve an issue that affects the entire nation.

Written only several weeks ago, this article is extremely current. It is from a

distinguished news source and contains information about my topic with claims
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supported by historical evidence. Though it was in the “opinions” column, I believe that

the information it provides is relevant to explaining how gentrification can happen and

how we can mitigate its negative effects.

I plan on using the information from this source primarily to support legislative

action as a solution to the negative gentrification. I also intend to use this article as

support for how the process of gentrification occurs. By including the history of how

legislation has worked in the past, I think it will strengthen my argument that legislation

will work if we implement it in the present.

Desmond, Matthew, and Rachel Tolbert Kimbro. “Eviction's Fallout: Housing, Hardship,

and Health.” Social Forces, vol. 94, no. 1, 24 Feb. 2015, pp. 295–324.,

doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sov044.

Matthew Desmond and Rachael Tolbert Kimbro’s article in the Social Forces

Journal researches how evictions affect an individuals health and level of poverty.

Through analysis of a sample of mothers and their children who have and have not

been evicted, Desmond and Kimbro conclude that their study revealed that mothers

who have been evicted report a increase in stress, depression, material hardship

(poverty) and poor health of their children. Before discussing these results the authors

recount the affordable housing crisis and how it has contributed to an uptick in the

number of evictions amongst low-income families. Due to the increase in housing costs,

the plateauing of incomes of the poor, and “federal assistance... fail[ing] to bridge the
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gap”, more families are forced to devote more than 30% of their income to housing. This

increases the likelihood on nonpayment and eventually, an eviction notice.

Desmond and Kimbro hypothesize that evictions lead to material hardship, or

poverty. This is based on the fact that following an eviction, families possessions are left

behind due to focusing their time and energy finding another place to live. This

expenditure of resources dedicated to worry about housing take precedence over

employment, leading to possible unemployment.

The authors go on to hypothesize that the trauma caused by evictions have

negative impacts on an individuals health. This may be a consequence of a prolonged

period of homelessness, substandard living conditions, or psychological distress.

After collecting data and interviewing their subjects and concluding by supporting

their hypotheses, Desmond and Kimbro call on “policymakers” to focus on evictions.

They note that by preventing eviction, the negative health and economic it has can be

lessened in communities.

This article was originally published by Oxford Academic Press, giving it

credibility coming from academic sources. This article does not revolve specifically

around gentrification, but the physical, mental, and economic effects that occur after

someone is displaced because of it.

I will use the information in this article to give specific details of how displacement

can affect an individual. It will support my argument that displacement from a

community is more than simply having to move elsewhere. I will use the authors call to
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policymakers to support my argument to push for legislation in my research paper.

Fayyad, Abdallah. “The Criminalization of Gentrifying Neighborhoods.” The Atlantic,

Atlantic Media Company, 4 Jan. 2018,

www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/12/the-criminalization-of-gentrifying-ne

ighborhoods/548837/. Accessed 6 April 2019.

Abdallah Fayyad’s article in ​The Atlantic,​ brings to light the fact that gentrifying

neighborhoods increase of police presence results in harassment of minorities. It is

noted that the “social dynamics” shift in a low-income community when higher-income

residents move in. These residents tend to get law enforcement involved in more minor

offenses such as loitering and noise violations. These activities that were once

considered harmless in the community are now a nuisance to the newcomers.

In some gentrifying cities, apps have been launched to report this kind of “public

disorder”. Abdallah goes on to say it’s not only the newcomers asking for this increased

police presence, law enforcement departments proactively form units to send to

neighborhoods with an up-and-coming nightlife.

The main concern minorities have in these communities is that “greater police

presence amplifies the risk of police misconduct and violence”. This is why the author

refers to these neighborhoods as being “criminalized”. This brings up the ultimate

question the article tries to answer, How do we decriminalize these neighborhoods?

Though this article is from a news source from two years ago, the author backs

up her claims by consulting sociology and law professors and a police chief, this gives
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her article some more credibility.

I want to use the information about the increased police presence as an effect of

gentrification and how it can negatively impact the former residents of the community.

“Gentrification.” ​What I Hear When You Say,​ episode 9, PBS, 15 March 2017,

www.pbs.org/whatihear/web-series/gentrification/. Accessed 6 April 2019.

In PBS’s video series “​What I Hear When You Say”​ , the concept of gentrification

is broken down into its simplest elements and explained by those who have

experienced it. This video notes the positive aspects of gentrification, namely access to

better food, shops, and education. However, once these positive factors become

overshadowed by the systematic removal of the previous culture and community that

inhabited that space, gentrification becomes a term with negative connotations attached

to it.

Interviewees note how the price of living becomes unaffordable and forces

renters to leave. The theme of dismissing minorities is repeatedly heard throughout the

video. Filmmakers and authors who have produced content on this topic are

interviewed. They touch on the history of redlining cities, where corporations segregated

neighborhoods to reshape the communities and replace culture with economy. The

suggested solution to this issue is to have businesses incorporate communities in on

their plans, where the include everyone in on their vision for the neighborhood.

This video was published fairly recently, in 2017, indicating that it is reasonably

current. Being part of a series for PBS, known for its educational content, assures that
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the information it provides is rich in quality and serves to educate its viewers. The

purpose of this video is to bring awareness to the term, process, and impacts of

gentrification. By including the experiences of those who have witnessed the process,

we know that the negative effects are not just theoretical, but a reality for many people

in our country.

I plan to use this information to define and explain what gentrification is to the

readers of my research paper. The solution offered at the end of the video will be used

in my paper as a possible rebuttal to my argument that legislation will be the ultimate

solution. I can counter this rebuttal because it is a weak claim. By addressing that

weakness I will effectively strengthen my position.

“Gentrification Explained.” ​Urban Displacement Project,​

www.urbandisplacement.org/gentrification-explained. Accessed 6 April 2019.

The Urban Displacement Project’s webpage, “Gentrification Explained”

thoroughly outlines how neighborhoods become susceptible to gentrification, how these

conditions led to disinvestment and then reinvestment in these communities, and how

this process negatively impacts the original residents. This site defines gentrification

and notes that there are multiple elements, as mentioned previously, to understanding

it.

Exploring the historical conditions that exposed neighborhoods to gentrification

requires the explanation of the roles of redlining, white flight, and urban renewal. The

history of redlining is explained as a process where minorities were systematically

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denied by banks for loans to buy a home. Due to this discrimination, when buying

homes in the suburbs was incentivized, black families were left behind in the cities as

white families left in masses to take advantage of these mortgages black families were

denied. This was white flight. Being segregated in the city, these predominantly

low-income minority communities had to live with the consequences of urban renewal.

This included the removal of homes and businesses which led to most investments

being withdrawn from the community.

Years later, people are now reinvesting in these communities. Due to the lower

cost of these homes, mortgages are now more affordable than rent. Newcomers are

attracted to the proximity and access to the city. As more of these new residents move

in a revitalization begins and investments in parks, transit, and properties increase.

Though most of these changes are positive, most of the original residents can

not afford to stay in these neighborhoods to enjoy these changes due to the rise in the

cost of living. If a resident can stay, the large shift in culture in the community can cause

the resident to feel “​a reduced sense of belonging, or feeling out of place in one’s own

home​”.

To reduce these effects, the Urban Displacement Project suggests that

community leaders push for affordable housing, preserve existing housing and advocate

for their residents.

The Urban Displacement Project is headed by professors, graduate students,

and researcher from UCLA, Portland State University and UC:Berkeley. With a huge

team of academic researchers writing and citing all the data on this webpage, this site is
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a credible source to get information from.

The information I will use from this page will aid in explaining the specific

conditions that lead to a community being gentrified. I will tie in the solution this page

offers, community leaders advocating for their city, pushing for legislation for protection,

as support for my argument that legislation of policies will reduce the negative effects of

gentrification.

Gibbons, Joseph, et al. “Evaluating Gentrification’s Relation to Neighborhood and City

Health.” PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 11, Nov. 2018, pp. 1–18. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0207432.

Joseph Gibbons article in PloS ONE journal tests his hypothesis that gentrifying

neighborhoods will report better health than disadvantaged neighborhoods. In this

article, Gibbons collected data from different areas via telephone surveys of individuals

reporting their health. Once analyzed, his hypothesis is supported. This could be due to

the increase in better food quality or increased access to resources such as health

clinics. His research also found that disadvantaged neighborhoods had a higher rate of

poor health rating.

In Gibbons final discussion he states, “ physical health outcomes tended to be

better in gentrified neighborhoods supports arguments that gentrification may introduce

resources to disadvantaged neighborhoods that result in improvements to quality of

life”. However, he concluded the article by noting that his research does not mean
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gentrification has an overall positive effect on neighborhoods health and his research

does not speak to how each individual reacts to gentrification.

This article was published in a reputable scientific journal, giving it some

credibility. This article was published only a year ago, meaning it is current. Seeing that

it includes all of the collected data and references to support his claims, I believe that

this source can be used for my scholarly paper.

I plan to use some of this information as a rebuttal against my claim that

gentrification has negative health impacts. Due to the fact that Gibbons backpedals as

he concludes that gentrification does not have an overall positive effect, I believe I can

easily argue that claim is more credible than his.

Zuk, Miriam, et al. “Gentrification, Displacement, and the Role of Public Investment.”

Journal of Planning Literature​, vol. 33, no. 1, Feb. 2018, pp. 31–44. ​EBSCOhost​,

doi:10.1177/0885412217716439.

Mirium Zuk and her colleagues' article in the ​Journal of Planning Literature ​goes

into great detail about the components mentioned in the Urban Displacement Project’s

webpage. The historical context in how neighborhoods become gentrified,

neighborhood “decline” and “ascent”, and the negative impacts of displacement. Though

it is similar to my other source, I believe it is crucial to defining displacement, as it goes

into more detail. Situations that result in displacement are listed. Voluntary displacement

is distinguished from forced displacement. The authors note various studies and how

they quantified displacement.

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This information comes from a scholarly journal published last year. It covers my

topic in depth with an extensive list of sources to back its claims.

I believe that by incorporating the information about displacement I can fully

argue that it is the ultimate negative impact of gentrification that needs to be addressed.

I can use the information to tie into what I learned about the effects of evictions to

support my claim.