North, West, Point Breeze residents feel effects of gentrification
Obama's stimulus money not getting to the inner city home owners. The white flight to the suburbs, left decaying properties that were relined by banks. Residents were unable to receive standard loans, when the loans did come in the predatory and helped to cause the housing crisis nationally.
And gentrification isn’t something that’s taking place just in Point Breeze. Residents of West, North and Southwest Philadelphia have equal cause for concern.
Mayor Nutter made a announcement that Development Permitting Process improvements to the permitting process stated it will make it more efficient, clear and affordable.Community residents, business owners and small contractors to take advantage of came out last week, to late for those in the community to play catch up.
Background by Larry Miller, Philadelphia Tribune Staff Writer:
Long-time residents of Point Breeze in South Philadelphia have argued that urban gentrification is happening to them in the worst way.
The process of gentrification is defined as “the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents.”
It is a process the residents of Point Breeze are deeply concerned about as they have witnessed the urban renewal taking place around them.
To them, in the not too distant future, a community of poor African Americans and whites that was allowed to deteriorate in the past, will become a patchwork of trendy eateries, upscale shops and luxury homes.
They said when that happens, Point Breeze, one of Philadelphia’s oldest African-American communities, will be gone. Concerned Citizens of Point Breeze, a growing anti-gentrification movement in South Philadelphia, is fighting to stop market rate housing from pushing out poor and working-class families.
They told The Tribune this week that an influx of federal stimulus cash had not been allocated to help them rebuild their homes but to re-develop the community, raise the property taxes and eventually price them out.
And gentrification isn’t something that’s taking place just in Point Breeze. Residents of West, North and Southwest Philadelphia have equal cause for concern. “The Cecil B. Moores, David Richardsons and Leon Sullivans are gone,” said Wayne Rahman, president of the Sister Clara Muhammad Community Development Corporation. “Our primary concerns are with the lack of political leverage within the affected communities and the strategic processes with the Philadelphia Planning Commission and the Re-development Authority. There is not enough participation from the South Philadelphia African-American community. There is no open door policy regarding their plans. Point Breeze, the 30th Ward, is the mother of gentrification for South Philadelphia. These are some serious issues.”
Rahman said the members’ concern is an influx of federal stimulus dollars funneled through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
“This stimulus money comes at a time when we’re very concerned about gentrification in the neighborhood,” said Betty Buford, president of Concerned Citizens of Point Breeze. “At both 1741 Federal St. and 23rd and Alter Street, residential properties are on the market for $300,000. At 1737 Manton St., a penthouse is being built that will be in the high $300,000’s. How can low income people stay in Point Breeze with those houses coming up all around them? In just one year, from 2008 to 2009, the median home sale price in Point Breeze has gone up 45.7 percent or $29,500.”
Buford said RDA and the City Planning Commission were going to have a meeting that the community only got a whiff of. They waited to see if the community would be notified, but that didn’t happen. At an Oct. 6 meeting, it was made clear that community involvement was non-existent, Buford said.
READ MORE by Larry Miller, Philadelphia Tribune
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Comments
Gentrification
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 9:48pmI think what this situation really boils down to is anti-white sentiment among some black members of the Point Breeze community. If you look at Grad Hospital, the property taxes are still low and it has already been gentrified. I'm not just talking about the new construction properties with the tax abatements either. Empty lots in Point Breeze are having houses built on them and run-down/abandoned houses are being rehabbed. These new/improved properties are good for everyone's home value, and they also make the block look a lot nicer. Plus, it helps get rid of the crack houses. Do those of you who want Point Breeze to stay the way it is really like seeing crack houses and empty lots filled with trash? Do you like living in a neighborhood with lots of violent crime, with which some blocks in Point Breeze are infested? I don't think so. If you do, you're nuts. New businesses coming to the area is a GOOD THING. They provide jobs, local places to shop, and help pump money back into the community. they also INCREASE YOUR PROPERTY VALUE. Some people say they are worried about black businesses being shut down due to gentrification. I don't see many businesses in Point Breeze period. If anything, the influx of people into the neighborhood will help current business owners as well as any new ones. The benefits of urban renewal far outweigh any misconceived disadvantages. Those of you who are against it are either misinformed, or you just DON'T WANT WHITE PEOPLE MOVING INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. There is no place for that kind of bigotry and narrow-mindedness in Philadelphia today. Do us all a favor and get over it.
Gentrification
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/19/2010 - 11:35amThe problem is not whites moving in. The problem is there are many black property owners who were denied loans to fix up properties because of predatory lending/red-lining. Now that those practices have been lifted, eminent domain is being abused to STEAL properties. My aunt had her properties STOLEN w/ the help of a shady politician. She had good credit & no leans, yet she couldn't get loans to fix them up due to predatory lending. Once they decided to stretch University City to the "Bottom" of West Philly, they took her properties & rented them out. Once the banks finally decided to give loans for W-Philly it was too late. Some developer took her properties. It’s disgusting! She'd being trying to get loans for renovation for years. Each bank was prepared to give her money until she hit them w/ the location...West Philadelphia. Then they'd say...We don't give loans for that area. Meanwhile, some mastermind dipped in and used eminent domain to take her properties.
Who cares if white people want West Philly back? Just don't use slimy politics and schemes to STEAL it!
Yeah Okay
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 2:54pmHow do you have your properties stolen? I am a single black female who buys properties and I am looking in point breeze and west philly and I have not been denied anything. I am actually considering buying a home in point breeze. I see a lot of middle class blacks moving into these areas also. So why are people making it about race? If she was a good property owner, how can they just take her properties. If you go to the area around West South Street that was gentrified, there are still tons of long-term black homeowners who live amongst the "yuppies" that have moved in and they are co-mingling just fine.
For a group of people that
Submitted by Marie (not verified) on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 4:52pmFor a group of people that are so concerned with saving point breeze, I didn’t see you out there on April 10, 2010 cleaning up the city with a huge number of participants. As a black women who has lived in Point Breeze for a number of years, you should be ashamed at how you guys sat back and watched the area dilapidate instead of truly being “concerned” when things first started getting out of hand. Someone who is “concerned” would help the elderly people who can’t afford contractors keep up with their properties and they would clean-up lots like the Point Breeze Pioneers do. Why can’t you be like the Newbold Neighbors and have Saturday morning clean-ups, free yoga and wellness classes, and gardening day, etc. The only people who will follow you damn sure are not us homeowners. Your lies to people that they will somehow be displaced are unfair and deceptive. There are plenty of low-cost $30,000-$60,000 (mortgage of only $300- $600 a month) properties with good brick and stud structures that only need sheetrock and updated electrical work that low-income residents can find and fix up like my husband and I did. Instead of disabling people and telling them they are too poor to do it themselves, let’s help them find financial backing for properties that need renovating, which will help keep them in the neighborhood. If they are solely looking to section 8 for their housing needs, instead of doing it themselves than of course they will eventually be displaced when fed-up homeowners decide to sell. Please respond and let me know what you think. BTW, I will also post this online and a few of us will be waiting to see what your response will be to helping these people fix up properties rather than wait for hand me outs.
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