Gentrification is when rich people move into a poor neighborhood. They fix the houses, open new stores, and make the area look cleaner and safer. At first, this may seem like a good thing. But as the neighborhood changes, prices go up. Rent becomes more expensive. Old residents and small businesses cannot pay these high prices. They are pushed out. This is called displacement.

Gentrification often starts in places where homes are cheap and buildings are old. New people move in and invest money. The neighborhood begins to look nicer. Landowners raise the rent. Stores that sell cheap food or products close down. Expensive stores open. Over time, the people who lived in the neighborhood for many years cannot afford to stay.

Many of the people who are pushed out are Black, Latino, or Asian American. These are the same communities that have often suffered from unfair treatment in the past. In many U.S. cities, mostly Black neighborhoods have changed. In the last 50 years, over 150 of these communities have become mostly white or wealthy.

Some people say gentrification brings good things. It can bring new jobs, better schools, and safer streets. It can help clean up areas that were not taken care of. But many people believe it also brings problems. Poor people lose their homes. Families are forced to move far away. Small businesses like family-owned shops or bodegas close because they cannot pay higher rent. The culture of the neighborhood disappears. Local people do not feel welcome anymore.

The word “gentrification” started in the 1960s in London. In the United States, the idea became more common in the 1970s. In cities like New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., many old neighborhoods began to change. In New York City, places like Harlem, SoHo, and parts of Brooklyn saw rents go up fast. Artists and rich people moved in. Many longtime residents had to leave.

Some cities are trying to stop these problems. They are building affordable housing. This means homes with lower rent so that working families can stay. Some cities have rent control. This is a rule that stops landlords from raising the rent too quickly. There are also programs that help small local businesses stay open. In some places, people in the neighborhood can buy land together so they can protect it from big companies.

Gentrification can bring both good and bad changes. It can make places look better, but it can also hurt the people who already live there. To make things fair, cities must plan carefully. They need to make sure that people do not lose their homes just because the neighborhood is getting richer.