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Interesting story and quotes by Spike Lee about gentrification - Page 2 — Brooklynian

Interesting story and quotes by Spike Lee about gentrification

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  • mugofmead111
    mugofmead111
    I think "we" will only effectively zone for affordable housing when "we" are unable to fill entry level positions.

    At present, we have far more applicants than we do jobs. Low income (but employed....) folks are sharing apartments, rather than move away to places that might be affordable, 
    Sharing apartments like this? I'd rather move further out than to submit myself to that.

  • god
    god
    It's sad to watch a once famous and talented person fade into obscurity.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    For those who prefer to listen to their media, rather than read it:

    http://bmcthirdrail.podbean.com/2014/03/20/third-rail-eps-4-gentrification-in-central-brooklyn/?token=17cc8453806c0420d59a8cb0c9a6c2c3
  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy
    Read an interesting article the other day that of the 59 real estate districts in New York, Park Slope which has the property valued the most is taxed on 1-3 family homes at .2 % of the assessed value while Crown Heights is taxed at .6%. And apartment buildings come in at nearly 5%. There is no rhyme or reason how the city taxes the property and usually if the property hasn't been sold for awhile the assessment doesn't go up as much because the true market value hasn't been determined. So, if Crown Heights gets taxed 3 times more than Park Slope maybe we need to build affordable housing west of Flatbush Ave.
  • homeowner
    homeowner
    And our assessments will continue to rise as this is a "hot" neighborhood and PS is a "buy and hold" kind of place.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    This guy and I agree:

    http://www.theatlanticcities.com/housing/2014/04/theres-basically-no-way-not-be-gentrifier/8877/
  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy
    The article had me until the last paragraph where Hertz says housing subsidies for the poor are what's needed. New York probably has more low income housing than most cities but the problem as I see it is that the poor get lumped in together. If they were allowed to "mix in" with more affluent tenants in other developments they might have something to aspire to but if they're all the same they don't seem to have any interest in doing better. But then again, the more affluent tenants don't really want to live with people below their income either. So, it's sort of a catch-22 I guess. In addition, I would think that the people who could afford to pay $2500/mo in rent would get ticked off that there are others in the building paying $1000 for the same apartment.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Even in the mixed income buildings, The social classes do not pay different amounts for the same apartment.

    The more expensive apartment usually has better finishes, appliances, and views.

    The tenant with money receives prompt repairs from building staff.

    ....whether this is an injustice that can be changed is where the meat of the conversation lies.
  • southeast
    southeast
    edited September 2014
    Not the best approach...  "Two Brooklyn women tired of 'white people moving into the area' force tenants out at gunpoint, then squat in apartment: police"

  • homeowner
    homeowner
    Funny enough when I read that story, I thought that the approach while sure to get one arrested and ultimately jailed was actually pretty effective in preventing gentrification. I don't think those three people that were "evicted" will return to that neighborhood.
  • mugofmead111
    mugofmead111
    Cue the comments about the return of "the bad old days"...

    The actions of these two women do not represent all people of color who live in urban areas. [/PSA]
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014
    Homeowner-
    Such actions are effective against individuals, but rarely against macro trends.

    A good film on the topic that sadly is likely too long to appreciate while at work:


    Make sure to watch the whole thing....
  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    I liked Tom Lloyd's remarks from South Jamaica 33:18 minutes in. Nice companion piece to Spike Lee rant.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    The conclusion at the end is a little Pollyanna, but is on the mark.

    It can easily be applied to the young white women who were not wanted in their new neighborhood.
  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    Well, there was only a racial component there, as the brainless thieves were looking primarily for an easy target to rob and squat rent free.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    I was actually thinking that the white women who were robbed (Daily News) and the black family that was harassed (above film) were similar in that they were not moving to a neighborhood to cause trouble.

    Instead, each was moving to the best place they could afford.
  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    I got that whynot_31,
    but feel the harassment aspect of the stories are vastly different.......but comically similar. Polyester shirts are back in fashion and wonder what the thieves were wearing.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited September 2014
    Given that thieves either did not care about the consequences of their actions, or did not believe there would be consequences to the actions, I tend to think drug use plays a role.

    As @mugofmead alludes, these folks seem to be more than two standard deviations from the mean.

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