Gentrification, Groupthink, and the Right to Housing
Introduction
What does the right to housing mean? Many perceive the right to housing as a right to refuge from the world, shelter from the elements, a place where a person wants to be, or a place worth fighting for. One can say that the right to housing means less to the majority of housed people, who take this right for granted, than those whose very existence may hinge on this right. The United Nations states that everyone shall have “a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, [and] housing…” (United Nations, 1948, Article 25). Still, people’s right to housing continue to be violated every day, to include populations …show more content…
One way that people lose control of their housing is through the process of gentrification. As horrid as it may seem, there are many people who do believe that moving people of little means out of their living space is a matter of progress and not a human right violation. More times than not, housing violations have its roots in deeper echelons of human thought and behavior. The effects of these behaviors are felt in Los Angeles as well as throughout the world. The praxis of displacing people is a lot different than its conceptual frameworks; however, if housing rights violations are first implemented in the minds of women and men, then it logically follows that its anecdote will originate from the same …show more content…
In Mackenzi and Meerman’s qualitative research article, the authors conducted a micro level study on the Heartside neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan, that in many ways mirrors Boyle Height’s Wyvernwood community. Within the article, social workers found a situation that is common to most redeveloped neighborhoods that are experiencing gentrification: people of lower incomes are looked down upon and are driven out of their communities (2014). Essentially, the residents’ right to housing is denied. In Aardema and Knoy’s study, researchers found that when property values considerably grow, older residents cannot pay the higher property tax and rentals are demolished for more expensive housing (2004). Often, resources that are available to low SES residents, such as jobs and support organizations, are uprooted as well. Within a community whose people may have to rely on public transportation, such as Wyvernwood, this may further exacerbate a family’s ability to persist. Although some of the established residents may enjoy the businesses that gentrification may bring, the majority of community members are apt to lose much more than they will gain (Mackenzi & Meerman, 2014). By contrast, developers, new business owners, and affluent residents often feel differently about
Introduction
What does the right to housing mean? Many perceive the right to housing as a right to refuge from the world, shelter from the elements, a place where a person wants to be, or a place worth fighting for. One can say that the right to housing means less to the majority of housed people, who take this right for granted, than those whose very existence may hinge on this right. The United Nations states that everyone shall have “a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, [and] housing…” (United Nations, 1948, Article 25). Still, people’s right to housing continue to be violated every day, to include populations …show more content…
One way that people lose control of their housing is through the process of gentrification. As horrid as it may seem, there are many people who do believe that moving people of little means out of their living space is a matter of progress and not a human right violation. More times than not, housing violations have its roots in deeper echelons of human thought and behavior. The effects of these behaviors are felt in Los Angeles as well as throughout the world. The praxis of displacing people is a lot different than its conceptual frameworks; however, if housing rights violations are first implemented in the minds of women and men, then it logically follows that its anecdote will originate from the same …show more content…
In Mackenzi and Meerman’s qualitative research article, the authors conducted a micro level study on the Heartside neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan, that in many ways mirrors Boyle Height’s Wyvernwood community. Within the article, social workers found a situation that is common to most redeveloped neighborhoods that are experiencing gentrification: people of lower incomes are looked down upon and are driven out of their communities (2014). Essentially, the residents’ right to housing is denied. In Aardema and Knoy’s study, researchers found that when property values considerably grow, older residents cannot pay the higher property tax and rentals are demolished for more expensive housing (2004). Often, resources that are available to low SES residents, such as jobs and support organizations, are uprooted as well. Within a community whose people may have to rely on public transportation, such as Wyvernwood, this may further exacerbate a family’s ability to persist. Although some of the established residents may enjoy the businesses that gentrification may bring, the majority of community members are apt to lose much more than they will gain (Mackenzi & Meerman, 2014). By contrast, developers, new business owners, and affluent residents often feel differently about