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The social effects of gentrification in Washington Heights/Inwood Manhattan

April 27, 2021 in

Eileen Gonzalez
Interdisciplinary Studies
11/27/19
City College of New York

This paper will analyze the social effects of gentrification on residents residing in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood. It focuses on the Washington Heights/Inwood area of upper Manhattan. Different disciplines provide insights into the effects of the demographic change with respect to housing, business, intergenerational stability, employment, and public space. Gentrification is the process of “revitalizing” a neighborhood to prepare for more affluent, wealthier people to inhabit the area (Chong, 2017, P1). Families and local communities are threatened in this process because it takes away their common space and the support systems that they need to flourish. Families face tough decisions as rents dramatically increase forcing families to leave or even face eviction. Additionally, small “mom and pop” businesses are closing at a dramatically fast rate affecting families and their income. The ordeal impacts residents quality of life, directly affecting their mental health as needs become a major burden to families stress levels.
To understand the effects of gentrification on a community dense with strong culture, Domincians, who are predominantly the main group residing in Washington Heights/ Inwood, one must look through a variety of disciplinary lenses to address this complex problem. This paper analyzes gentrification through the lens of Sociology, which is essentially the study of society, including the social lives of people, groups, and society as a whole. The study of economics is a viewpoint important in the social impact of gentrification. Economics involves examining markets and how the change impacts the cost of living, viability of small businesses and employment opportunities. Psychology is another disciplinary lens that entails the effects of human behavior, experiences, and mental processes. Analyzing the effects of gentrification through the lens of Sociology helps to understand and convey how a community manages to handle the crucial effects that gentrification has on an entire group of people. The economic lens allows for one to understand the economic impact gentrification plays for both business owners and employees within the area. The psychological lens illustrates the devastating mental health impact encroached in communities that are impacted by gentrification. These three disciplines help to raise awareness of its impacts felt in areas that had originally developed its roots and richness by the original inhabitants, a crucial understanding needed for policy makers to empathize with community members and see their value and contributions within the community they built.
Gentrification is a modern terminology that prepares communities for the arrival of more affluent people which raises rent prices, property values and significant demographic changes to a community. Unfortunately, families who have an establishment in a community are the most affected by gentrification. As rent prices increase in a gentrifying neighborhood, lower working class families are faced with displacement pressures which in many cases have led to eviction (Newman and Wyly, 2006, P25). The once neglected neighborhood with poor investments is now turned into a point of interest by “professionals” who are primarily of white decent. The new attention begins to attract new businesses and land developers (Pienda, 2017, P5). The effects of this new attention leaves families, who have established community networks and support systems with the decision to look further away from their core systems of support (Chong, 2017, P2), breaking ties to what they once knew. Families soon turn to neighborhoods that are poorly invested in order to meet their affordability needs (Pineda, 2017, P13).
The economic effects of gentrification are felt in many forms. The most visible effects that one can immediately notice are the new businesses that line Dyckman and 181 streets. What was once streets lined with small businesses are now populated by big chain stores strengthening the attraction to the area for more investments. Many vocalize that gentrification has benefits, however, the question remains, to what extent? Residents in the center of a gentrifying neighborhood tend to feel the effects more intensely.One can also look at the price of available goods such as food and see that the basic needs have dramatically increased not correlating with income. This competition for employment also becomes challenging as the need for more high skilled labor increases (Desmon, 2017, P27). Those who once worked for the small “mom and pop” businesses are replaced with English speaking, high school/college graduate individuals in order to meet the demands of the new consumer. This economic impact leaves devastating consequences for families to bare, resulting in depression and anxiety as to how they will make ends meet.
Residents residing in gentrifying neighborhoods tend to have higher rates of stress which lead to depression and anxiety. One could hypothesize as to why, families struggling to make ends meet can cause stress. A study conducted by Sungwoo Lim and Pui Ying Chan (2017) showed a close relationship between displaced families and mental health issues. They tracked addresses of patients who visited the emergency room and noticed that many patients resided in areas that reputably have families being priced out. This is not to say that these are the sole reasons of mental health concerns but rather a strong indicator that the stress of not being able to provide for one’s family can lead to such issues. The stress is so profound, families with children end up radiating it on to their children which, in turn creates a vicious cycle of depression. Children of these families tend to be found with learning disabilities because they are seen as not being able to follow course work, all resulting from the constant exposure to anxiety exhibited by their parents. Results of the study found that “compared with those who remained (within their community even though their neighborhood is significantly changing) displaced residents were more likely to make emergency department visits and experience hospitalizations, mainly due to mental health” (Lim, Chan, 2017, P1). These results are eye opening and should be an area of concern for policy makers to see how damaging gentrification can be if not approached correctly.
The effects in a gentrifying neighborhood, viewed through many disciplines, is crucial in understanding how intense a community held together by the very fabric of its cultures, families and histories can be completely obliterated. The effects are so profound, that “not only of residents who are immediately displaced by gentrification processes but also of the impact of the restructuring of urban space on the ability of low-income residents to move into neighborhoods that once provided ample supply of affordable living arrangements” (Newman, Wyly, 2006, P26), but also the family closeness they once had while living in their community. This paper took on many perspectives and its reactions by a community in the center of demographic, economic, and cultural changes to illustrate the effects that they experienced. The sociological lens, took into account how community support networks tend to be dismantled as a result of outside forces. Economically, the lens brings to light the effects of the ever rising rent prices in both residential and business stand points, while the psychological effects map out its direct connection between mental health and displacement. Connecting these three lens, conveys its devastating impacts being felt by those residing within the Washington Heights/Inwood area of Upper Manhattan, hopefully raising awareness that new approaches to neighborhood revitalization that holds into account the social and economic values that have sustained and supported the people who have built these areas, is needed in order to keep the very essence of its culturally rich community.

References
Desmond, M. (2017). Evicted: Poverty and profit in the American city. Penguin Books.
Examining the Negative Impacts of Gentrification. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.law.georgetown.edu/poverty-journal/blog/examining-the-negative-impacts-of-gentrification/
Healthy Places. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/gentrification.htm
Hwang, J., & Sampson, R. J. (2014). Divergent Pathways of Gentrification. American Sociological Review, 79(4), 726-751. doi:10.1177/0003122414535774
Lim, S., Chan, P. Y., Walters, S., Culp, G., Huynh, M., & Gould, L. H. (2017). Impact of residential displacement on healthcare access and mental health among original residents of gentrifying neighborhoods in New York City. Plos One, 12(12). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190139
Marcuse, P., Smith, N., & Williams, P. (n.d.). Abandonment, gentrification, and displacement: The linkages in New York City.
Moskowitz, P. (2018). How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood. PublicAffairs.
Newman, K., & Wyly, E. K. (2006). The Right to Stay Put, Revisited: Gentrification and Resistance to Displacement in New York City. Urban Studies, 43(1), 23-57. doi:10.1080/00420980500388710
Pov. (2003, January 17). What is Gentrification?: Flag Wars: POV: PBS. Retrieved from http://archive.pov.org/flagwars/what-is-gentrification/
Richard Florida, C. (2015, September 16). This Is What Happens After a Neighborhood Gets Gentrified. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/this-is-what-happens-after-a-neighborhood-gets-gentrified/432813/
Pineda, Marilyn, “The Effects of Gentrification: Inhabitants, Education, and Displacement” (2017). Honors College Theses. 28
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/honors_theses/28

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by Eileen Gonzalez

The social effects of gentrification in Washington Heights/Inwood Manhattan

April 27, 2021 in

Eileen Gonzalez
Interdisciplinary Studies
11/27/19
City College of New York

Comments Off on The social effects of gentrification in Washington Heights/Inwood Manhattan

by Analisa Kovmir

OpEd – “We Have To Talk About NYC’s Homeless Problem”

May 7, 2020 in

(Gary Hershorn/Corbis via Getty Images)

A close friend of mine recently opened up to me about her experience and struggle with homelessness. She spoke to me about some of the reasons that once forced her into a difficult situation. As she began to tell her story, I remember the sorrow I felt pouring out of her. I recall her exact words.

“I never thought I would ever, in a million years live in an abandoned truck parked in a sketchy part of my neighborhood.”

At the time, Christie had just graduated high school and was trying to secure a job in order to help her mother with bills. She was a normal teen, preparing herself for college and eventually adulthood. Though all things seemed fine on the surface, Christie and her mother argued and fought constantly which devastatingly led to Christie’s mother kicking her out of the home. During this time Christie was unemployed and unprepared for the cold unforgiving streets.

After a few days, Christie scouted a truck that was missing its wheels in a parking lot for a safe place to sleep. So in she climbed, hungry, confused and alone. She mentioned to me that because she had no money of her own, there were many days where she often went without access to food and water. While holding back tears, she expressed to me how thankful she is for everything she has. Though I have never found myself in a similar situation as Christie, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to survive 10 minutes without a home. I commend Christie for her resilience and inner strength which guided her out of a helpless situation. She reminded me to be appreciative of what I have and helped me to understand some of the reasons why people end up homeless.

All across The United States, specifically New York City, there are many people currently experiencing homelessness. While not every case of homelessness shares the same circumstances as Christies’, the pain and discomfort experienced are synonymous. Though someone like Christie can push through their hardships and survive, this is not always the same for others.

On any given day the streets of New York City are loitered with empty water bottles, floating pieces of paper, used food containers and living human beings. You can ride the subway to almost any stop and find at least one or two homeless individuals. According to Coalitionforthehomeless.org, as of 2019 approximately a total of 99,395 men, women and children are currently experiencing homelessness. In a period of abundance within the United States, many people still live below the poverty line. Numerous families and friends, like Christie have shared in this unnecessary desperate situation. There is no reason good enough to justify these numbers. The fact that almost 100,000 people, some of those being innocent children, have to experience hunger, isolation, and wait in line for a bed in a shelter is completely undignified.

These individuals are thus exposed to a rough life and forced to literally sleep under the stars. The homeless have often been subjected to harsh treatment from other passerby’s such neglect or being told to “Get A Job!”. In addition, exposure to New York’s harsh winter weather, the crippling side effects of loneliness and lack of access to medical care can all take a toll on even the toughest person.

A recent New York Post article, “Homeless deaths spike amid all-time high in population under Mayor de Blasio”highlights the mortality rates amongst the growing homeless population. It asserts, “Homeless deaths from July 2018 through June 2019 totaled 404 — a staggering 39% increase from the previous fiscal year and the highest number since 2006, when the city began recording the deaths.”

In a span of one year, homelessness has claimed the lives of 404 individuals and will continue to reap more. As of 2019, the main reasons listed in the article that attribute to the death toll are drug use, ex. alcohol consumption, heart disease, accidents and cancer. Homelessness is an inexcusable reason which adds to the mortality rate in New York City and is in dire need of relief.

Prior mayors, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, made poor choices to clear the homeless off the streets of NYC through force and arrest. This quick fix ‘solution’ brought rise to resistance of future programs by the homeless. The entire approach was not well planned nor executed in the right manner. Both Mayors seemed to cause more harm and panic rather than provide relief. Mayor de Blasio’s current attempts to tackle the homeless crisis with more shelters and outreach programs is not the answer. And because the homeless population have developed a distaste for the shelters, the situation can only escalate.

Looking closer, I noticed domestic violence as one of the main reasons that may drive someone to a shelter program. I came across an article by The New York Post, “Half of NYC’s homeless domestic-violence victims feel unsafe in shelters” which voiced the concerns of domestic-violence survivors whom now flock to the city’s shelter programs as a way of escape.

Despite the good intentions of these institutions, there are some obvious drawbacks. The article argues, “…12,540 victims — or more than 75 percent, mainly women and children — are being housed in regular shelters with publicly available addresses, making it easier for their abusers to track them down…” The state’s efforts to strengthen the homeless community is both ironic and quite sad. How can this system work to protect these victims when its displaying their location to the abusers?

Some functioning analyses I derived from this article were recognizing domestic violence as a cause for homelessness, a lack of awareness in society and the misconceived efforts by state officials. I can only hope that others may realize this as well. Domestic violence has become one of the main causes of homelessness but yet it is hardly addressed. Imagine the number of mothers, fathers, children, sleeping elsewhere because they cannot sleep at home. I feel for the children who have to be separate from either parent due to these circumstances.

As claimed in the article, Carol Corden, the head of a non-profit organization, New Destiny Housing, also makes it clear that the addition of more beds in a shelter is not the solution but rather a useless quick fix. It is someone like Corden whom reminds me are still some people with good intentions in this world. Through the use of New Destiny, she was able to provide relief to a single mother of two with an apartment in the Bronx.

The way in which we as a society provide help to the homeless should further be cross examined and reformed. The means in which help is offered to the homeless population should be designed to accommodate their struggles and not burden them. The officials in charge of tackling this heavy weighted problem need to reassess the parameters of homelessness and introduce a solution that’s viable to all. No human being deserves to be homeless and rejected by society. We need to accept the homelessness in New York City rather than shield ourselves from it.

There is no immediate remedy for homelessness. However, with awareness, intervention and prevention, the future can be secure and bright.

Sources:

Coalition For The Homeless, “Basic Facts About Homelessness: New York City”,

https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/basic-facts-about-homelessness-new-york-city/

Dorn, Sarah and Henry, Jacob, “Homeless deaths spike amid all time high in population under Mayor de Blasio” New York Post, © 2020 NYP HOLDINGS, INC., 18/1/2020, https://nypost.com/2020/01/18/homeless-deaths-spike-amid-all-time-high-in-population-under-mayor-de-blasio/

Marsh, Julia, “Half of NYC’s homeless domestic-violence victims feel unsafe in shelters” New York Post, © 2020 NYP HOLDINGS, INC., 2/2/2020, https://nypost.com/2020/02/02/half-of-nycs-homeless-domestic-violence-victims-feel-unsafe-in-shelters/

Christie, Personal Interview, 2, February 2020.

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