Gentrification or Termination
by Cortney Scott

The Westside of Chicago is no stranger to de-industrialization, abandoned stores, boarded-up dwellings, scarce jobs and vacant lots. These are all observations of signs of disinvestment. What was once a Mecca of thriving businesses that was home to Sears and General Electric among other major industrial giants, the Westside of Chicago has not yet recovered from the riots of the late 1960¹s in which many businesses were destroyed (black and white owned) and white flight took place, which, in turn, left many Westside areas in economic ruin and desperation. This, however, may soon be over. Due to investors now buying more property than ever on the west side and specifically in the Lawndale community, gentrification is in full effect. But how does this affect the residents of these areas that have lived in these neighborhoods for periods that span four to five generations?

It is baffling that in most Black communities throughout the city, most of the businesses are owned by cultures that live outside of the community. Where are Black people putting their money? Statistically, Black consumers spend over 2.5 billion dollars per year in this country. This indicates that the money is definitely there, but where is it going? Why would a second or third generation Black family that has lived in the same building continue to still pay rent instead of a mortgage?

This consumer mentality has been embedded within the consciousness of Black people. Even during the Civil Rights movement, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blacks fought for the right to sit in the front of buses and to be able to drink from the same water fountains. It never dawned on those so-called leaders to convince the people to own their own bus line or water fountains. The idea then was to be able to share instead of own. Very few people at that time were preaching ownership - Marcus Garvey and Elijah Muhammed were two of the most vocal on the issue. But due to being scrutinized by the media and their own people, their messages didn¹t have a long-term affect on the collective consciousness of Blacks. This is not to say that some Blacks didn¹t take heed of their messages, because many did, but that was less than 3% of the total Black population in America.

It boggles the mind to see Blacks own thirty to forty thousand dollar cars and still live in a project residence. Where do the priorities lie within the Black community? Can we see beyond the fancy cars, name brand clothes and shiny jewelry? A wise African man once said ³When foolishness is rewarded, wisdom becomes useless². This stands very true. Ironically, Blacks own more churches in their neighborhoods than homes or businesses. Are any of the churches preaching ownership? Are any of the churches sponsoring home buying seminars to educate their flocks? Shouldn¹t all these churches do more than just preach another culture¹s ideology and sing? It is said that the church is the staple of the Black community. If one cannot be educated on securing a future for his/her family through ownership and production outside of the church, the future looks dim.

Sales of illegal drugs alone in Black communities generates millions of dollars a year. The Chicago Sunnyside does not condone these activities, but it causes one to wonder where all of this money is going. For instance, it is no secret that Chicago is home to major mafia operations; an interesting fact is that a high percentage of monies made by these means are put towards owning properties to put a legitimate face on income being made. This method, in many cases, ensures that one involved in such illegal activities can one day become a legitimate businessman. If some people feel that illegal activities are the only way to make money, shouldn¹t they have some kind of strategy or plan to one day turn a new leaf and live without fear of going to jail or getting killed? Where does the common sense come in?

As a result of this lack of self-determination, many Blacks are being forced to vacate where they live to make room for new or rehabbed properties that they can no longer afford. It¹s called gentrification. But who do we have to blame but ourselves?

An inflow of invest-ments is what is fueling the gentrification process one can see in the Lawndale community and on the west side of Chicago. Houses are being erected and upscale condos are being rehabbed. Even current landlords are raising their rents as they are realizing they can attract professionals and business people as tenants. Those residents that are home owners have been offered mediocre sums of money by investors that are hunting for prime property. Quite frankly, any property in Lawndale is considered “valuable city real estate”. A main reason is because of its convenience to the downtown area. One can literally travel to any location in the loop from Lawndale by train, bus or car in less than twenty minutes. For those that commute to work from the West Suburbs (racking up over 20 hours travel time and $75-$150 per week in travel expense), this crime-ridden, drug-infested, highly dysfunctional area of land doesn¹t appear so bad to them now. This travel population is made up of mostly white middle-to-upper-middle class families or couples. What was once an eyesore to many suburbanites is starting to become the main attraction full of possibilities.

Both gentrification and disinvestment are processes made up of the activities of certain kinds of social agents or institutions. Landlords, developers and banks all play key roles. Briefly, it is important to understand one main point: a building is like a piece of machinery or a motor vehicle - it depreciates in value over time. Parts wear out - the roof may need to be replaced after years of wear and tear, or the building style may go out of fashion. New standards in electrical or plumbing systems may also erode the value of a building. Of course, these systems may be upgraded, but this is called ³new investment². A neighborhood where this is continuous is not in decline. Some neighborhoods continue to retain their ability to attract business and professionals to live there. Owners of rental properties in such areas will have an incentive to upgrade their buildings because they can command rents high enough to generate a good return on that investment. This is the direction the Lawndale community is headed. Why? Location, location, location. Being a former housing counselor, I am familiar with the fact that the housing market tends to sort the population by income. Racism adds another type of sorting. If an area is increasingly filled by lower income residents, landlords have an incentive not to maintain their properties. If they were to invest in upgrades, they would need to charge a higher rent to make it a profitable investment. People with higher incomes who could pay the higher rents may not be willing to live in that neighborhood. So landlords simply ³milk² the decaying buildings. By putting off repairs, they can save money to buy other buildings elsewhere. The failure to continually upgrade buildings and replace the worn out stock with new ones amounts to a process of disinvestment (shrinkage of capitol) in an area.

What has happened in Lawndale and many other urban neighborhoods around the country is that a gap has emerged between the rents that an area of deteriorated buildings and low-income residents can generate and the potential rents that the area could generate if it were completely rebuilt or renovated to its highest and best use. When this rent gap becomes large enough, the area is then ripe for gentrification or a new round of investments. Developers begin to buy properties in anticipation of increased market values once such a process gets underway. Once this process is started, landlords will have an incentive to evict low-income residents in favor of more affluent tenants who can afford higher rent. Deferred maintenance by landlords during this phase may be motivated by a desire to drive out the lower-income tenants. Banks and other financial institutions increase mortgage and construction loans. Displacement, whether via urban renewal and the bulldozer or by market force, is an act of force. But this is America, right? Big business? You better believe it.

To ensure that people are not to be displaced, it is absolutely necessary to change the ownership structure of the land and its buildings. A community land trust offers one promising approach. Within the community land trust concept, the residents own the buildings they live in and a land trust (a non-profit neighborhood membership organization) owns the land under the buildings. Under this model, restrictions are placed on the price or rental of dwellings. For example, if a resident owns a house or apartment sitting on a community-owned land and wants to sell it, he/she must first offer it back to the community land trust at a restricted price. Permanent price restrictions thus ensure that the housing will always be affordable.

This small article is just an introduction to a series of articles to come concerning gentrification and its effects on the lives of the people that are caught in its web. I hope this article gives a general understanding of what is taking place on the West side of Chicago. It would be easier for Blacks to play the victim in what is going on, but that could not be further from the truth. It would behoove those that care about their neighborhoods to get together and organize to have their residents educated on the benefits of ownership. There are many companies that will come and give free seminars on the topic. All it takes is a phone call and the willingness to learn how to become owners and producers instead of living the life of a mere consumer. Consumers cannot build the world. I guess the question is, what kind of world do Black people want to see in the future?

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In the last issue of the Sunnyside, we gave attention to the process of gentrification, what it is and how it works. The realities of this movement stretch far beyond just the buying, selling and renting of properties and land. In order for gentrification to be effective, there are other things that must happen to ensure a somewhat peaceful environment for new tenants or homeowners. This can only be acheived through a "cleansing" process in which all gang and drug activities are monitored and controlled by means of police surveillance. The level of intervention depends on the neighborhood and its history of crime. The methods vary, but the goal remains the same - get the criminals off of the street.

Chicago is one of the country¹s leaders in implementing this method of crime control. With surveillance cameras planted on top of street posts in high crime areas, police can monitor any movement made by any person within its range. These highly-advanced cameras can relay video and pictures to police car monitors up to one mile away. Costing over $10 million, these cameras were originally used in other US cities to monitor moving violations (speeding, accidents, etc). They serve as eyes for the law when the police cannot be present to monitor activities. Due to their effectiveness, more money was alloted for upgrading the systems, thus prompting cities such as Chicago to test them in their effort to reduce activities that are not favorable in the eyes of the law.

Some residents in these targeted neighborhoods feel safer by the presence of the cameras. The cameras are not hard to locate as they imitate the blue squad car lights and flash every few seconds, 24 hours a day. "I think it was a great idea," says Raymond Johnson, resident of the West Garfield area of Chicago. "Knowing that there is a camera watching your every move, you think twice about doing illegal things in public. A few hot spots where drugs were being sold have now moved from the main streets where the cameras are. Hopefully they will put the cameras on every corner. It would make the neighborhood a better and safer place to live."

Other residents share the same feelings as Mr. Johnson, but how far will the law go to ensure what they deem to be safety and prevention? For now, it only appears to affect drug dealers, buyers and gangs. Will the same feelings be shared when the privacy of common folk are compromised? One can rest assured that this is just the first step in many to come that will use safety as an excuse to monitor people "for their own good" (Patriot Act I and II).

Illegal activities have taken place in every neighborhood in Chicago since organized crime was introduced to society. Why are areas that are highly populated by African Americans being targeted first? Is it a coincidence that this is happening around the same time that major reconstruction and purchasing of properties by White investors are taking place in these areas? Is it a coincidence that some of these neighborhoods (such as West Garfield and Lawndale) are only ten minutes from the loop?

Are areas like Rogers Park, Andersonville, Ravenswood, Wrigleyville, Lakeview, Edgewater and the Gold Coast free of drug distribution and purchase or domestic violence and crime? In reality, it is almost impossible to by ecstacy, hash, acid, crystal meth and cocaine on the Westside of Chicago; one would find these drugs in the beforementioned neighborhoods. The law agencies know this, yet the cameras are mainly concentrated on the Westside. It is important to note that nothing illegal can be bought or sold in our communities without the authorities having knowledge of it. When the higher-ups decide it is time for change, they will do so; this, however, will compromise their share of the drug money, and they act accordingly. A retired police officer told the Sunnyside, "Ninety nine percent of the police force is corrupt." When asked if he ever participated in the corruption, he gave a firm "no comment".

There have been numerous convictions and arrests resulting from evidence relayed to squad car computers by the cameras in the streets. Currently, a law is being reviewed that will convict even a 14 year old that is caught selling drugs within 100 yards of a public facility, and that child can be tried as an adult! This may result in a 14 year old child housed in a maximum security prison with adults. If passed, this law will ensure a comfort zone for the middle and upper-middle class residents who are flocking to the Westside. As this article is being read, properties are being bought and renovated, and new prisons are being built to house many young Black men that live in those same areas.

It is not the Sunnyside¹s intention to imply that jail should not be the consequence of engaging in illegal acts. We are sure that everyone would ideally like to live in a safe environment, but where is the balance? Why are all these preventitve measures being focused on certain areas that just happen to be occupied by non-whites? This is the real issue. Our society has made it extremely difficult for ex-offenders to gain employment on all levels. The few programs that are available do not provide sufficient funds for a working male to support himself, let alone a family. With survival being the first and strongest instinct of all humans, what are the options for an ex-offender that nobody will hire? I have never heard of a person in the ghetto selling drugs because they like it, but those that society has turned their backs on will do whatever they have to do to survive - its human nature. It is hard to judge someone unless you have walked in their shoes.

This is just a small part of how the gentrification process can have a major effect on the lives of people. Cultural diversity is a wonderful thing for any neighborhood, but when it comes as a major detriment, displacement and termination of a specific class of people, it loses its appeal. If more Blacks owned their own busineses, maybe the willingness to hire another Black person, ex-offender or not, will be given more consideration. If more Blacks owned their own homes, displacement will become a thing of choice. We must build the world we want to see; if not, what we see is what we get. Peace.  

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