Block by Block

The Effects of Gentrification  

Being born and raised in Los Angeles, witnessing the city change first hand really did not bother me, I thought it would be wonderful for the development of my hometown. However, many members of my community including myself, began to witness how the development of these wealthy people's business displaced the people from my community. Block by block I see the immediate impact from the housing crisis, to the displacement of families who lived here decades ago, and lastly the McMansions. 

As a member of this community, I felt that becoming a voice for those who feel that they are not heard. Civic engagement is one way that the community can be united. According to the American Psychological Association, civic engagement is "individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern". When I asked members around my neighborhood how they felt about the rise of prices for houses and the cost of living here in Los Angeles, Rafael said "Just to even go out, you already have to anticipate that you're going to spend $100 plus". 

    Rafael M.

 When he stated this, it made me think for a while and I thought about the difference between those who work to survive and is necessary in order for them to keep a roof over their head; and the opposite, those who have so much money that are inflating the prices of houses simply because they want to live the "SoCal" life style. According to the Urban Displacement Project, Los Angeles County exhibited the highest rates of gentrification, with 10% of tracts classified as At Risk of Gentrification, Early/Ongoing Gentrification, or Advanced Gentrification. In addition, 5% of tracts in Los Angeles County were not gentrifying but experienced Ongoing Displacement of Low-Income Households. 

When it comes to personally impacting myself, I have lost close family and friends who could not afford or were living pay check to pay check because of the rise of prices in apartments, houses, and life style. In my hometown of Hawthorne and Lennox, no one really knew what city that was, it used to be a heavily Black and Brown community. In my earliest memories I remember I would walk to the the Mercado and enjoy the Mexican candy the local business owner would give us. Right across the street there was also a bakery that served the best conchas. Today, all of that is gone. Seeing the sidewalk and stores of what it once was to now is horrid. Presently, that bakery is gone, the plaza is gone where I grew up. The site where it once was is currently being under construction for a parking garage for the new Arena being built for the Clippers. When I asked another member of the community how they felt about the new parking garage being built there Carlos stated, "Its bad enough that they destroyed the plaza where my grandma would me, but to build a parking garage and new arena for the Clippers? At least choose the real LA team if they're tearing down my childhood".

Carlos C. 

Work Cited Page:

“Los Angeles – Gentrification and Displacement.” Urban Displacement, https://www.urbandisplacement.org/maps/los-angeles-gentrification-and-displacement/.

“Updates to Gentrification Index & Map.” UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, 11 July 2018, https://knowledge.luskin.ucla.edu/2018/07/11/updates-to-gentrification-index-map/.