Lots of tension building up here in Minneapolis over once affordable/section 8 apartment complexes and neighborhoods being turned over and upscaled, displacing a decent amount of lower income residents. Some the areas are in pretty rough shape, so it's good to see this happening on one hand, but there's definitely a shortening list of places for these people to go. Curious where HROT stands on gentrification'
Gentrification
- Thread starter General Tso
- Start date
It happens both ways. In downtown Des Moines a ton of housing is being built for white collar upcomers. In order to receive financial incentives a number of section 8 apartments are also being made available. Gonna be a lot of pissed people who spent a lot of money buy expensive places downtown when they find out they have to live with the poors (and worse the poor's tagalongs) for a number of years.
Sad part is that the owners after a few years can jack the rent and then the section 8 folks are going to be moved out.
I'm ok with it. The poors can join their friends out in Brooklyn center. If you rent, you're not entitled to stay for life.
My thoughts on gentrification go something like this: locals in the poor neighborhoods b!tch about no investment in their community. Then somebody comes in and makes an investment in these communities upgrading the properties. The local's then realize they can no longer afford to live in these communities and b!tch about getting priced out.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
If it follows what happened in Atlanta, look to the nearest affordable "suburban" area with affordable apartments and decent bus / light rail service to the city center. Where I lived when I first moved to Atlanta has totally changed because of this.
Richfield has already turned over, Bloomington is headed that way. Brooklyn Center, yep. Got a buddy that lives in Brooklyn Park on the north side near 610 and the Mississippi R. and he tells me the south side of town is getting pretty rough. 94 is a dividing line. He's been looking at moving once his youngest graduates.
When analyzing markets you want to look at indicators. In MSP I look at youth hockey enrollment numbers for the U8 programs. Not kidding. If the youth program is strong that means the area is populated by non-immigrant families with a decent amount of disposable income. You think I am kidding? There is a direct correlation.
When analyzing markets you want to look at indicators. In MSP I look at youth hockey enrollment numbers for the U8 programs. Not kidding. If the youth program is strong that means the area is populated by non-immigrant families with a decent amount of disposable income. You think I am kidding? There is a direct correlation.
Well then, I'm set. I live in Lakeville (pretty much Apple Valley though). This winter we had 6 hockey rinks going -- 4 on the lakes/ponds in our neighborhood and two in the green spaces. Always kids playing hockey in the streets.
They want their neighborhoods to improve, but don't want the additional property taxes and increased rent. They don't live in poor neighborhoods because they have a really good grasp on how economics works.
