Philadelphia Gentrification Study has Interesting Findings

A recent study put out by the Federal Reserve Bank ofPhiladelphia in July of 2019, contradicts some long held anecdotal understanding of gentrification causes and impacts. A WHYY report on the study mentions that city neighborhoods are fairly dynamic. Over the course of 10-14 years, 68% of residents in low-income neighborhoods that weren’t gentrifying moved to different neighborhoods, as compared to 74% of residents in gentrifying neighborhoods. This dynamic population creates opportunity for displacement without forcing out residents who would otherwise stay. Additionally, the study found that residents who did stay in the gentrifying neighborhoods were able to reap greater benefits. In fact, children of “original residents” in gentrifying neighborhoods were found to be more likely to attend college than children of similar families in non-gentrifying neighborhoods. Further more, the study found that the impact of gentrification did not discernibly impact income, employment, or even commuting distance for low income individuals, and those who moved ended up in neighborhoods with no greater poverty, rent, or distance from central business districts. The study also notes that “recent literature suggests that building more housing (whether market-rate or affordable) is a promising way of maintaining and expanding housing affordability.”