The Gospel of Gentrification

"God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

Our God created this world good, making something out of nothing. God took what was formless and gave it shape. God took what was empty and filled it up. God took darkness and turned it to light. God gave order to chaos, creating ecosystems of equity that allow for everything he created to uniquely flourish.

After creating the world, and everything in it, God ascribes a special task to humanity, created in his image. We are to be good stewards of this world, using all the resources Our Creator bestows on us to continue creating environments of wholeness and flourishing for the entire cosmos. Be fruitful. Multiply. Replenish the earth. Subdue it.

God gave order to chaos, creating ecosystems of equity that allow for everything he created to uniquely flourish.

What does it mean to subdue the earth? We are not commanded to humiliate the things that God has made and abuse them for selfish human gain. However, we are called to bring out the best in everything God has created. We are commanded to bring everything under the righteous and just rule of Jesus Christ, using every good gift He gives us to create a world where everyone has what they need, nobody needs to be afraid, and creation is radically flourishing.

Gentrification is a direct affront to the cultural mandate that God gives us as human beings. Let me first establish my working definition for Gentrification. This is a definition that is heavily influenced by the Houston’s historic Third Ward, the neighborhood where I live and work in. Gentrification is the influx of wealthier residents into a neighborhood that leads to the involuntary displacement of existing residents, history, and culture.

Gentrification lacks justice and equity because it does not fully value the image of God in all people. Out with the old, in with the new. Out with the poor, in with the wealthy, with no opportunities for coexistence between them. Instead of getting at the root problems of poverty and blight in ways that are equitable for all, we settle for getting rid of people who are poor instead. This is not the way God intends for revitalization to occur.

Gentrification is the influx of wealthier residents into a neighborhood that leads to the involuntary displacement of existing residents, history, and culture.

Some people believe that gentrification is necessary for the redevelopment of communities. The argument is that when wealthier residents move into a neighborhood, they invest in getting rid of urban blight. Governments notice, and pay attention to the needs of middle to upper class residents. Public spaces are renovated. Property taxes increase. Capital projects like paving streets and constructing sidewalks increase. Public schools receive more public dollars from tax increases.

However, going back to our working definition, we see inherent in gentrification a grave injustice; the displacement of people, history, and culture. With gentrification, we also see our culture valuing people with higher incomes more than people who earn less. With the poor as the victims of such displacement,  gentrification is not grounded by the equity that God desires, but is exploitative in nature. Gentrification is not part of God’s work of restoration, redemption, and renewal.

Some people believe that gentrification is necessary for the redevelopment of communities.

Inherent in gentrification is a posture and spirit that is eerily similar to colonialism. A posture of domination that doesn’t take into account the people, culture, and history in a place. A posture that values property more than the people who currently live on it. A posture that thinks everything is ours for the taking. A posture that assumes we have earned the right to solely revitalize neighborhoods because of our elevated socio-economic status, without considering the input, knowledge, and desires of those who have lived in a neighborhood for decades.

I am not advocating for neighborhoods that experience blight to be neglected. I am not even advocating that new and wealthier residents should not move into such neighborhoods. I am asking for us to expand our imagination. Is displacement the only way to revitalize a neighborhood, or is there another way? When we look at neighborhoods like mine, do we see them as places of scarcity or places of God’s deep abundance? Can we see people who don’t earn as much as equally endowed by God with creativity, skills, and knowledge that is vital for the flourishing of our neighborhoods?

Through human agency, God commands us to continue to create with him. God wants his justice and equity to be greatly multiplied throughout the earth. God desires that the earth be filled with his glorious presence and his just laws. And God wants us to bring all things in creation under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, where everything experiences wholeness and flourishing.

I am asking for us to expand our imagination.

When God blesses us and commands us to be fruitful, he doesn’t just bless middle and upper class people. The cultural mandate is God’s calling for all his children. Through the power of his Spirit, God desires to call out potential and creativity in all his people. This is God’s amazing gift of common grace given to all of humanity for the flourishing of the entire cosmos.

There is another way to equitably develop a neighborhood. It is a way that sees both the brokenness and the beauty simultaneously. It speaks to the needs and mobilizes the assets of the neighborhood for change. It honors the people, history, and culture of a place. It is community driven and deeply participatory. Development without Displacement.

I believe there is hope for any neighborhood that has fallen on tough times. I believe we can creatively eradicate poverty without simply shuffling it to another neighborhood. Especially for neighborhoods that are still inhabited by people with skills, and gifts, and desires. People who want to stay in places that their families have called home for multiple generations.

When God blesses us and commands us to be fruitful, he doesn’t just bless middle and upper class people.

In my next post, I’ll give a brief history of Houston’s historic Third Ward, how we got to this place where we see the seeds of gentrification in our neighborhood. In my third and final post in the series, I will highlight the work of the people in our neighborhood to halt gentrification, increase housing choice, and build community wealth that revitalizes the neighborhood in a just and equitable way. I pray you join me on this journey of exploration.