My Rambling thoughts on Gentrification, Part 1

Gentrification
: the process of renewal and rebuilding, accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poor residents.
(reference)

Gentrification gets a pretty bad rap in the DTES of Vancouver. You have probably seen or heard about the various protests that were happening in the last few months against new restaurants in the DTES which attracted ample media attention. There have been hunger strikes, windows smashed, picketing, and ultimately, a lot of anger from many people, with many different perspectives and opinions.

Something I have been pondering and struggling with is whether or not gentrification is a good thing in the DTES. I also wrestle with how to make it less negative as I've seen a lot more negative impacts than positive. I have the privilege to work alongside people who live in the DTES as a home care nurse, and I have seen some of the effects of gentrification on them. While I have yet to talk about it directly with people living there, I hope to do so in the future as part of a blog series. I have discussed this topic over and over again with friends who work and live in the DTES, and generally speaking, they seem to be struggling in the same way. What is our role in all of this? Is there anything we can do? While part of my purpose in taking on this topic is me wanting to understand it all better and to hear about gentrification from all sides/parties involved, I also would love to see more discussions about this between everyone involved.

One of the most common negative impacts of gentrification is that it causes an increase in the cost of living, which makes basic living expenses less affordable and accessible to people. This is hard for those living on lower incomes and welfare, and eventually forces people to move/be displaced. Many small businesses aren't able to stay open as the rent keeps rising. I've noticed personally that housing costs in the Strathcona area have increased dramatically in the last year. It's certainly not as affordable as it once was, and I can't help but think it has to do with gentrification and the area becoming more "trendy".

Perhaps a positive result of gentrification is that the area often becomes a bit more "cleaned up"? Whatever that means though? Often it seems that making an area "cleaner" requires displacement or turning a blind eye to the pre-existing real needs and issues faced by the community. I'm thinking of how the city of Vancouver handled homelessness in preparation to the Olympics coming here in 2010. There's only so much "sweeping under the rug" we can do, since rugs can only hide so much.

To be honest, I'm finding it challenging to think of other positives that are in fact, "positive". Is creating more housing for middle/upper class people and boosting the economy through new business and condo developments really a positive thing if it displaces others from their homes and businesses? I would love to discuss gentrification with the people who are apart of the city planning and changes happening, or even restaurant and business owners that have established themselves down there.

Am I understanding the purpose of gentrification and the motives correctly? I want to understand. I want to see things from both sides, and figure out how these sides can come together. Awareness is a good place to start.

I remember being in one of the (sketchier) hotels in Chinatown, visiting a man discharged from the hospital too early after a major surgery. Things were not looking great as his incision was hugely at risk for infection. I'm trying to problem solve and  figure out how to meet his complex needs amidst a chaotic, pretty unclean environment. To complicate matters, he had no food and no clean clothes. Below his window, was a line-up of 30+ people standing in line for a sale at a pop-up trendy looking clothing store. He told me that people had been lining up for hours. It just seemed ironic. It was one of those moments where I had this profound realization of the messy collision of cultures, financial disparities, attitudes, lifestyles that are happening in the DTES and surrounding area. A collision that I'm fully apart of, whether I'm working as a nurse or enjoying Gastown on a day off.

The hardest part of this? I'm not sure this gentrification process is going away anytime soon. So where does that leave those of us struggling with it? Is there a way for restaurants and businesses and the people they attract (I'll refrain from using the word 'hipster' here...) to be better integrated into the already existing community rather than trying to 'change' it and wanting/forcing people to move? Can this collision come together in a beautiful way and even strengthen community in the DTES?

I have more questions than answers it seems, as it's quite messy and unclear.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my rambling thoughts on Gentrification as I propose some ideas, more questions, and discuss a well-established business that is working hard at being a "good neighbour" in the DTES.