D.C. has the highest ‘intensity’ of gentrification of any U.S. city, study says

[Anonymous]

Double edge sword of all of this development...

"About 40 percent of the District’s lower-income neighborhoods experienced gentrification between 2000 and 2013, giving the city the greatest “intensity of gentrification” of any in the country, according to a study released Tuesday by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.

The District also had the most African American residents — more than 20,000 — displaced from their neighborhoods during that time, mostly by affluent, white newcomers, researchers said. "


[url]https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2019/03/19/study-dc-has-had-highest-intensity-gentrification-any-us-city/?utm_term=.3fa3e0a386e6

[/url]

[Anonymous]

This fits with my experience. My neighborhood has changed so much since I moved in in 2002. And I think about moving to another neighborhood where the gentrification hasn't taken hold yet but I know that me moving there would just be one more part of the gentrification process.

[Anonymous]

this happens all over the country as areas redevelop and become more desirable

it's really just a class thing

I wish there were more middle class and higher black folks coming back to DC vs PG county to make this less of a racial issue

[Anonymous]

Just going back to the historical reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this happens all over the country as areas redevelop and become more desirable

it's really just a class thing

I wish there were more middle class and higher black folks coming back to DC vs PG county to make this less of a racial issue

We are a middle class (250k HHI) black family and would love to come to DC from our hot nova neighborhood. The areas we think are most similar to where we live now are way too expensive in DC.

It still comes down to racial wealth inequality. Its also ingrained in the housing system, down to racist lending practices and house appreciation rates still happening today. I truly hate it all, but have no way to escape it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this happens all over the country as areas redevelop and become more desirable

it's really just a class thing

I wish there were more middle class and higher black folks coming back to DC vs PG county to make this less of a racial issue

We're here! Many of us in the upper 16th St. area. I'd say, however, that residents in that area are trending more UMC than true middle class. Most middle class folks I know, regardless of race, are buying in areas like close-in Silver Spring.

Agree with the article that there is a need for a lot more affordable housing across the city. I wish the NIMBYs would accept that changes in density are necessary so that the entire city doesn't eventually become a rich enclave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this happens all over the country as areas redevelop and become more desirable

it's really just a class thing

I wish there were more middle class and higher black folks coming back to DC vs PG county to make this less of a racial issue

We're here! Many of us in the upper 16th St. area. I'd say, however, that residents in that area are trending more UMC than true middle class. Most middle class folks I know, regardless of race, are buying in areas like close-in Silver Spring.

Agree with the article that there is a need for a lot more affordable housing across the city. I wish the NIMBYs would accept that changes in density are necessary so that the entire city doesn't eventually become a rich enclave.

We are getting increased density in my neighborhood by the Potomac Ave metro as is appropriate but what worries me is that it seems as if so little of it is affordable housing. Oh, and you all will find this amusing: A huge project going up right across from the metro is called the Blackbird and its website boasts of "bohemian soul" meeting "button touch access" and it features quotes from Hunter S. Thompson and Biggie Smalls, pictures of Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Muhammad Ali, and Aretha Franklin. So not only are they trying to make this place look hip (love my neighborhood but it's not Columbia Heights) but they are marketing it to people who consider themselves hip and want luxury at the same time.....eh, isn't that a bit of a contradiction? Here's the website: https://www.blackbirdsedc.com/ This is so weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this happens all over the country as areas redevelop and become more desirable

it's really just a class thing

I wish there were more middle class and higher black folks coming back to DC vs PG county to make this less of a racial issue

We're here! Many of us in the upper 16th St. area. I'd say, however, that residents in that area are trending more UMC than true middle class. Most middle class folks I know, regardless of race, are buying in areas like close-in Silver Spring.

Agree with the article that there is a need for a lot more affordable housing across the city. I wish the NIMBYs would accept that changes in density are necessary so that the entire city doesn't eventually become a rich enclave.

But the density isn't offering affordable housing. Chopping up a row home into 4 individual levels and listing at $700k isn't "affordable".

[Anonymous]

We are getting increased density in my neighborhood by the Potomac Ave metro as is appropriate but what worries me is that it seems as if so little of it is affordable housing. Oh, and you all will find this amusing: A huge project going up right across from the metro is called the Blackbird and its website boasts of "bohemian soul" meeting "button touch access" and it features quotes from Hunter S. Thompson and Biggie Smalls, pictures of Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Muhammad Ali, and Aretha Franklin. So not only are they trying to make this place look hip (love my neighborhood but it's not Columbia Heights) but they are marketing it to people who consider themselves hip and want luxury at the same time.....eh, isn't that a bit of a contradiction? Here's the website: https://www.blackbirdsedc.com/ This is so weird.

Ugh. Wish I hadn't read this. But not surprised, either. Everything's for sale, isn't it?

[Anonymous]

Where did all the African Americans go? I keep wondering this.

Are they going to PGC? Where are they going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this happens all over the country as areas redevelop and become more desirable

it's really just a class thing

I wish there were more middle class and higher black folks coming back to DC vs PG county to make this less of a racial issue

We are a middle class (250k HHI) black family and would love to come to DC from our hot nova neighborhood. The areas we think are most similar to where we live now are way too expensive in DC.

It still comes down to racial wealth inequality. Its also ingrained in the housing system, down to racist lending practices and house appreciation rates still happening today. I truly hate it all, but have no way to escape it.

Racial wealth inequality is a big big problem, no question

But a huge problem in DC is a lack of housing supply. Our zoning rules make it impossible to build enough housing where people want to live.

We need to persuade DC to buck wealthy people in single homes, and upzone their area for dense apartments. Without that there’s no way to build enough housing in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where did all the African Americans go? I keep wondering this.

Are they going to PGC? Where are they going?

We aren’t going to pay 700k to live on a row house floor or pay $1m to live in a shitshack just to be around wealthy non-brown people.

I live in south Arlington simply for the diversity. Sadly it’s becoming less diverse as more people who are paying 50k over list move in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this happens all over the country as areas redevelop and become more desirable

it's really just a class thing

I wish there were more middle class and higher black folks coming back to DC vs PG county to make this less of a racial issue

We're here! Many of us in the upper 16th St. area. I'd say, however, that residents in that area are trending more UMC than true middle class. Most middle class folks I know, regardless of race, are buying in areas like close-in Silver Spring.

Agree with the article that there is a need for a lot more affordable housing across the city. I wish the NIMBYs would accept that changes in density are necessary so that the entire city doesn't eventually become a rich enclave.

But the density isn't offering affordable housing. Chopping up a row home into 4 individual levels and listing at $700k isn't "affordable".

Supply and demand. Sure, chopping up one row house won’t fix the problem.

But if you chop up 5000 row houses and make 20,000 new units, THAT will bring the prices down - you’d have those condos selling for more like 400-500k.

(Fixing the DC housing problem requires lots of steps: more supply, more subsidized affordable, zoning changes, pop ups, higher buildings, disempowering the NIMBYs. It will take a lot. We have a huge problem. But the biggest of all those problems is limited supply because of crappy zoning regs.)

[Anonymous]

Who is in charge of the zoning regs and the policies to prmote affordable housing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this happens all over the country as areas redevelop and become more desirable

it's really just a class thing

I wish there were more middle class and higher black folks coming back to DC vs PG county to make this less of a racial issue

We're here! Many of us in the upper 16th St. area. I'd say, however, that residents in that area are trending more UMC than true middle class. Most middle class folks I know, regardless of race, are buying in areas like close-in Silver Spring.

Agree with the article that there is a need for a lot more affordable housing across the city. I wish the NIMBYs would accept that changes in density are necessary so that the entire city doesn't eventually become a rich enclave.

We are getting increased density in my neighborhood by the Potomac Ave metro as is appropriate but what worries me is that it seems as if so little of it is affordable housing. Oh, and you all will find this amusing: A huge project going up right across from the metro is called the Blackbird and its website boasts of "bohemian soul" meeting "button touch access" and it features quotes from Hunter S. Thompson and Biggie Smalls, pictures of Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Muhammad Ali, and Aretha Franklin. So not only are they trying to make this place look hip (love my neighborhood but it's not Columbia Heights) but they are marketing it to people who consider themselves hip and want luxury at the same time.....eh, isn't that a bit of a contradiction? Here's the website: https://www.blackbirdsedc.com/ This is so weird.

PP. Ugh. I see what they're trying to do, but not sure I love this co-opting of cool and the city's African American history in the name of a gentrification project.