On the ground, combating gentrification means putting a stop to cost-driven displacement and evictions. Grassroots organizations in some of the hardest-hit cities have dedicated themselves to that task.
Alexis Stephens reports on continuing activism in three cities to curtail displacement and evictions brought about by gentrification. Shifting land use patterns in Detroit, San Francisco, and Brooklyn have all met vocal opposition from longtime residents. From the article:
- Detroit: "An unprecedented 62,000 homes are scheduled for a mass foreclosure by Wayne County on March 31. These properties represent $326.4 million in taxes, interest and fees to Detroit. [...] An emergency assembly organized by the Moratorium Now Coalition took place on March 14 at Christ Church Detroit. Leaders of the coalition say this event should be treated as the same type of state of emergency responsiveness as a natural disaster."
- San Francisco: "[Anti-Eviction Mapping Project] has compiled data showing a loss of more than 3,278 rent controlled units in the city from 2007-2014. Counting the nearly 4,978 affordable housing units produced in the same time period, the net affordable housing stock in the city is only up 1,700 units."
- Brooklyn: "A project of the grassroots organization Equality for Flatbush, B4G is currently hosting forums throughout Brooklyn this spring discussing their six-point 'This is a No-Eviction Zone' campaign and providing legal, housing and community organizing resources."
FULL STORY: How Activists in 3 Cities Are Fighting Evictions
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research