Much like the rest of the United States, one of the many issues that concerns the citizens of New York is the economic issue, particularly that relating to income. The idea of segregation based on class is as old as time itself, and with this comes the marginalization of lower income families in various aspects of day to day society, especially evident in the way the process of gentrification. In more recent years, it isn’t uncommon to see lower-end neighborhoods receive somewhat of a revival, but what these renovations and improvements come with is the phasing out of the poorer residents of the town, with increased property values forcing them away from the places they call home. It is difficult to witness the blatant neglect of the less
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While it has seen improvements and increased attention in recent years, very little has gone to benefit the people on- or below- the poverty line in the area. In Chelsea, the average household income is about $140,000, while working class families living in the local Elliott-Chelsea Houses make an estimated average of $28,000 (Navarro). With the influx of more affluent residents taking up spots in these refurbished neighborhoods, the longtime local tenants experience rent growth that outpaces how much they can possibly make within a year, eliminating the prospect of these people having affordable housing (“How Sky-High”). As a result of these increased hikes in rent for poorer residents, there is a clear correlation to the increasing amount of people being displaced from these gentrified areas and the decreasing amount of spaces that are available cost-wise to these families (“How Sky-High”). This creates conditions for these families where their only options left are areas where they can benefit from very little local resources, leaving them in a rut that is difficult to climb out of. Of course, the resource that most of these low-income families fear losing is that of their housing. While both the black and white populations in the city have fallen, gentrified areas have seen an even larger decrease of black tenants, while this is where …show more content…
While not explicitly a race issue, there is no denying that the gentrification of New York stems from some form of racial bias. If New York continues this pattern of pushing these residents away from their homes, it will not be long before city-wide marches and protests become more prevalent as a means of taking a stand against the influx of the rich kicking out the poor. The system will need a complete overhaul if each family is expected to be treated and seen as an equal, and some of these more expensive properties will need to either be moved, or some kind of capacity limit as to how expensive these property values can be will need to be imposed. The sooner that there is more of a level playing field for the citizens of New York, the sooner we can actively call ourselves an equal, progressive part of the United
While it has seen improvements and increased attention in recent years, very little has gone to benefit the people on- or below- the poverty line in the area. In Chelsea, the average household income is about $140,000, while working class families living in the local Elliott-Chelsea Houses make an estimated average of $28,000 (Navarro). With the influx of more affluent residents taking up spots in these refurbished neighborhoods, the longtime local tenants experience rent growth that outpaces how much they can possibly make within a year, eliminating the prospect of these people having affordable housing (“How Sky-High”). As a result of these increased hikes in rent for poorer residents, there is a clear correlation to the increasing amount of people being displaced from these gentrified areas and the decreasing amount of spaces that are available cost-wise to these families (“How Sky-High”). This creates conditions for these families where their only options left are areas where they can benefit from very little local resources, leaving them in a rut that is difficult to climb out of. Of course, the resource that most of these low-income families fear losing is that of their housing. While both the black and white populations in the city have fallen, gentrified areas have seen an even larger decrease of black tenants, while this is where …show more content…
While not explicitly a race issue, there is no denying that the gentrification of New York stems from some form of racial bias. If New York continues this pattern of pushing these residents away from their homes, it will not be long before city-wide marches and protests become more prevalent as a means of taking a stand against the influx of the rich kicking out the poor. The system will need a complete overhaul if each family is expected to be treated and seen as an equal, and some of these more expensive properties will need to either be moved, or some kind of capacity limit as to how expensive these property values can be will need to be imposed. The sooner that there is more of a level playing field for the citizens of New York, the sooner we can actively call ourselves an equal, progressive part of the United