Gentrification is the process of rebuilding a poor neighborhood only to push the low income residents out in order to move wealthy people in. I hate the term “urban” but I’ll use it for the sake of this topic. Gentrification only seems to happen in urban neighborhoods. Prime example, Cabrini-Green. Anyone that is from Chicago knows about the Cabrini-Green housing projects that were completely demolished in 5 years ago. A high crime, urban area inhabited by poor African American.
It is rumored that they will build a mixed income complex that will have some reserved housing for low income individuals. It has also been rumored that they are building complexes that will go for somewhere close to a couple million. Which is true? I have no idea but I’m sure it’s the latter. I say this because of all the signs I see when driving through the hood that read “Building a new Chicago.”
How about the simple fact that they a putting a Starbucks and Whole Foods in Englewood, another high crime, low income, and predominantly black neighborhood. Not to say that the residents don’t need a Whole Foods. For those that are not familiar, Whole Foods is a grocery store that provides healthy and organic food at a high cost. While most people would be excited about a Whole Foods coming to their area all this screams to these residents is gentrification. When the residents live on blocks with several abandoned buildings, don’t have water or electricity, don’t know how they’re going to pay their rent, or not to mention the worries of just walking to and from safely, healthy and expensive eating options are the least of their worries.
The hoods of Chicago are slowly being gentrified and where does this leave the inhabitants? Isn’t there a way we can rebuild these communities without displacing the current residents? Most of them need better paying jobs and better opportunities. Yes, I know we need more than just better paying jobs to help rebuild these communities but closing the schools and throwing up million dollar complexes isn’t the solution either. What can be done to effectively rebuild these communities?
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