gentrification

. Kirkwood and the Historic DistrictThe Kirkwood neighborhood sits perhaps two miles from the state Capitol, and but for EastLake, is the most easterly of the gentrifying neighborhoods. The city council member representingKirkwood is particularly concerned about the changing face of her longtime neighborhood. She seesan influx of white and gay residents replacing longstanding African American residents, and is notpleased. The gay residents, like the empty nesters mentioned above, are generally not affecteddirectly by the poor quality of the Atlanta school system, and they bring in substantial incomes andmarket demand. But the council member organized many of the community’s conservative blackministers to voice opposition to the lifestyle of the newcomers, and the conflict in Kirkwood is morepronounced than in any other gentrifying community in Atlanta.In contrast, the redevelopment process in the Historic District closer to downtown isproceeding smoothly, in part because many of the residents choose to stay, and in part because theneighborhood itself is more firmly in control. Mtamanika Youngblood runs the communitydevelopment corporation operating in the Historic District neighborhood; her office is a couplehundred feet from Dr. King’s birth home block. The CDC organized 20 years ago, and received animportant shot in the arm with the technical and financial support the city offered to CDCs during theOlympics-driven redevelopment effort. Separated from Atlanta’s city center by less than half a mileand a freeway interchange, the Historic District offers the walkability, cultural significance, andarchitectural value that some higher-income residents may desire. Many of the neighborhood’shouses are poorly maintained, either by owners on fixed incomes or by landlords without an interestin investing in the neighborhood. Vacant lots abound.The CDC seeks to transform the Historic District into a mixed-income, vibrant neighborhoodof single-family homes that remain affordable to its current residents, many of whom are elderlywidows. Youngblood’s organization is revitalizing the area one unit at a time. For example, theHistoric District identified vacant lots and houses for redevelopment first, understanding they wereeyesores and drags on the neighborhood. After high quality housing was built with significantfinancing support from the city, the CDC encouraged renters in occupied units to move to thistemporary housing until their homes could be renovated. Section 8 vouchers for tenants keep therents affordable and stable.To date, several blocks of the small district have been transformed, and all residents remainin the neighborhood, if not in their original houses. Eighty seven percent of the area was renteroccupiedwhen the CDC was organized, but with downpayment assistance, homeowner educationprograms, low-cost financing and city-supported tax abatements, the homeownership rate is nowmuch higher. With the CDC’s work making a mark, the private sector is responding: individualbuyers are fixing up homes in the neighborhood (one valued at $350,000), and locking into thecommunity’s institutions. Because the CDC has been so forthright about its vision and work,speculators have stayed away from the area thusfar, according to Youngblood. She says that the53