Gentrification

       Gentrification....a touchy subject, a controversial topic, progression or regression. It all boils down to your viewpoints and philosophy and money!  As uncomfortable as it may be to pull back the layers and take a peek, it is necessary.  It is something that is taking place, not just in Austin, but all over the United States.

       It sounds marvelous when you first look at gentrification.  How can you argue with cleaning up a neighborhood, eliminating crime and bring an influx of new inhabitants.  It sounds perfectly palatable and desirable.  For those who have called the neighborhood home, it is not that simple.  It fact, it is far more complex.  As we look deeper into the meaning and impact of gentrification, we have to be willing to discuss the uncomfortable aspects.  Not everyone wins with gentrification.

     More often than not it is the current residents and especially the renters who are most affected by the cleaning up of a neighborhood.  All of a sudden, prices are skyrocketing and tenants are forced to leave the comfort of their environment and quite often, move to the suburbs.  Austin has a large population of renters and quite frankly, this attempt to revitalize the hoods, often leads to unaffordable housing for students, young professionals, and already struggling families.

     We have to address the problems encountered by the elderly as they are forced from their lifelong homes and neighborhoods.  No longer having affordable housing in their lifelong neighborhood,  they are removed to the suburbs or other areas.  These areas are often prohibitive to the life of an elder person.  All of a sudden they find themselves without easy access to grocery stores and other crucial staples to maintain their lives.

      Developers. Are they evil or just unaware?  I am sure both holds true in the area of gentrification. Greed can be a driving force in the topic of gentrification.  A developer can see a wonderful opportunity to clean up a neighborhood yet not consider the entire impact on the families who have called that house or neighborhood home.  In the interest of ignorance, we can say they are truly unaware of the problems they are creating; however, some do not care.  When asked what will happen to current residents, many developers say, I don't know.  You have to wonder if they really care.

     It is so important for developers to  consider, just as we consider the communities we work with and their needs, what is best for a community and how to provide a clean, safe, and crime free environment without jeopardizing the needs of the residents.  It is essential for developers and community to work hand in hand as they create living spaces and beautification of neighborhoods.

We can each take what we know about gentrification - the beauty and the beast - share with others and help them understand the complexities.

   

 

The Conceptual Map

     In the book,  Beginner's Guide to Community-Based Arts,  the CRAFT model is thought of as a conceptual map.  It appears that following the map will hopefully get you to your final destination and one would hope that you don't have too many detours along the way.  I see this project as a journey and although I have had a couple of detours,  what some might consider road closures, I am thrilled with  the learning process.

The CRAFT model:

CONTACT:    I started this process last semester as I engaged in forming relationships with staff and faculty at Martin Middle School.  By the end of the spring semester I felt connected and hopeful we were all on the same page.  It had been worth the endeavor and extra time to earn the trust of the people at Martin.  I was looking forward to starting the oral history project for Martin this fall.  Needless to say, I had no idea that two key staff members were about to exit and contact would need to be established again.  It is yet to be proven if those replacements will desire an oral history project for Martin.  I am hopeful they will; however, it is quite possible that they see the needs for the school differently.  So, I guess this is a temporary detour along the path!  Life..it doesn't always go as planned....minor derailments often occur! It is important to not get discouraged and realize, once again, this is about the relationships and the needs of the school...not me!

RESEARCH:  This is where we are with our project today.  The amount of behind the scenes work that goes into developing an oral history or photo journalism project.  Do we understand what photo journalism and oral history look like?  We can gain knowledge about these types of project by researching what they are, what they look like, and where to go for help.  Our team is currently trying to watch other oral history projects, developing questions for our contacts, and gathering information on photojournalism.  We have to continue to search for information on the community and the school so we understand the history of Holly Street and Martin.

ACTION:  We are not here yet.  Hopefully we will have a portion of an oral history or photojournalism project ready for the school.  The goal is to have something that benefits the people of Martin and Holly Street.

FEEDBACK:  A necessary component of any work or project.  I look forward to having something developed for the school that they can be excited about and spread the word about the project and the history of their school.

TEACHING:  Sustainability. I hope this project will continue to spark passion and excitement from the students, families and staff at Martin.  Equally important, I hope the students that continue to be involved in global project will want to be involved and continue to support Martin Middle School in their desire for an oral history.

I am looking forward to this journey and thankful for the CRAFT map!

Understanding our Communities

       As we look at the communities in our project group, it is difficult at times to understand how we can  truly help them.  We can see a common thread in the communities of Marlo Heights, Colony Park, and Holly Street. Each community has a low median income of the mid to upper $20,000.00 as compared to Austin's median income, which is $55,000.00.  The three communities lack parks, grocery stores, and more importantly their voices to be heard.

      Looking at Colony Park, we see a great need for their voice to be heard within Austin's city government and with the community of service through the University of Texas.  According to the data we have, Colony Park was not asked what they felt their greatest needs were and also if they were, their voices were not acknowledged.  They are faced with a community center that is currently unusable and also the prospect of being labeled a low income housing community.  The residents of this community long to be heard and have a community that is thriving, family oriented and offering a safe place to live.  Battling the city against a low income housing project is not an easy war to fight.

     We see the impact the paper plant had on the residents of Holly Street and their inability to win the battle with trash and rodents.  Holly Street like Colony Park and Marlo Heights is facing growing pains.  Individuals are coming in and buying homes, fixing them up, and/or tearing down and building new.  The residents face higher tax rates and the grief over the loss of a neighborhood as they once new it.

     The residents of Marlo Heights struggle to have a voice.  As we look at the recommendations of the team from UT, we can see the problems this community faces to as they long for safety and a united front.  Each of our communities have struggles. The greatest thing we, as a project development team, can do is to listen, hear their concerns and try to understand the challenges before them.

      Looking at the redevelopment of Mueller, there is definite controversy over the way this redevelopment was  handled.  Communities like Marlo Heights, Colony Park, and Holly Street need to unite and have a voice prior to big development coming in and changing their neighborhoods.

     The food desert is certainly a huge problem for these communities.  We see a great deficit in access to not only healthy foods but also food in general. The lack of access to food, especially for those that don't drive, continues to plague these neighborhoods.  Local and chain grocery stores are not going in to these areas because it does not benefit them.  Residents cannot even walk to the near by grocery because there isn't one.

I am hoping the community of UT and our project development group can have an impact on the lives of these people.  Because what starts here really can change the world.

 

Relationship Learning

I was impacted by the story of Rhodessa Jones.  I love how she stated she wanted to make a difference with her work. I guess for all of us that resonates - we want to make a difference. So often our idea of making a difference is not at all what others need.  We go into community and see what we think is important, what is broken and how we can fix it.  For Rhodessa, she rushed in and started over sharing about her life. In spite of her behavior, the women responded to her and they began to develop a relationship.  Sometimes that isn't always the case. Often we rush in and over step our boundaries and violate trust.  I value this story because it is a reminder to be invited and welcomed into community. By waiting and developing those relationships, which take time, we can truly make a difference.

There is a saying "rules without relationship leads to rebellion."  As we go into a community to assist them, if our agenda is more important than the people and their needs, it can look like we have rules.  Although a community may not rebel, they can certainly withhold the relationship.  I believe it is critical to remind ourselves why we are there and what it is we hope for that community. But more importantly, what do they envision for themselves.  And how can I or others assist in helping them achieve their dreams and goals?   I also feel that building these relationships doesn't occur over night and we can expect resistance until trust is built. The greatest lesson I can remember is that my time frame, my ideas, and my goals are far less important than the people I encounter.  Maybe then I can be the difference!