Across the United States, the ripple effects of gentrification have been impossible to ignore. As cities evolve, long-time residents, especially low-income seniors, are increasingly forced out of the communities they’ve called home for decades. Rising rents, luxury developments, and soaring property taxes are just a few of the forces driving older residents away from urban centers. In some cases, entire senior communities have been displaced in the name of revitalization.
Below are six major cities where gentrification has severely impacted senior populations, leading to community-wide displacement and long-term consequences for both the residents and the cities themselves.
6 Cities Where Gentrification Has Pushed Out Entire Senior Communities
1. San Francisco, California
San Francisco has long been ground zero for gentrification, with its tech-fueled economy creating extreme disparities between high-income workers and long-term residents. Seniors in neighborhoods like the Mission District, Chinatown, and the Tenderloin have been particularly vulnerable to eviction and displacement.
The Ellis Act, a California law that allows landlords to evict tenants to “go out of business” and sell properties, has been a major weapon in the removal of older renters. Many seniors living on fixed incomes found themselves priced out as landlords converted buildings into luxury condos or tech campuses. Senior-specific housing projects have dwindled, and some long-established senior communities have been entirely uprooted to make way for new developments…