I hear that topic come up a lot these days.
Making 3rd Ward prettier does help the image of UH, but at the expense of displacement of long time residents? What are your thoughts?
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I’d hope that the gentrification that is being done is above board, however, I doubt that it is. I’d also hope that the city is working to ensure that there is housing available to those displaced, but I doubt that occurs either.
Eventually, business and money will probably win…always does. What it means for UH? Some good, some bad. Nicer neighborhood which will probably draw more affluent students, but will cost it some of its diversity and identity.
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Capitalism is the American way…Baseball Hotdogs and Gentrification!!! Buy now…you wont be sorry!
Gentrification has its pluses and minuses but I think the benefits outweigh the negative. With the coming of gentrification are new businesses, apartments/townhouses/condos and the refurbishment of existing homes. If all of this is going on right outside of UH campus, it would help with the housing of more students without the university investing in more on-campus housing. That would be money saved and invested in other university matters. This would create an environment like those small town big universities where all students live on campus or right outside of campus. Wow, game day would be awesome. Awesome-er
There are a couple of things that come to mind when someone mentions this topic. First, gentrification is inevitable because of a disparity in property value. If property values in one area are substantially lower than in the areas surrounding it, you will see an interest in outside investment. I hear a lot of bluster about people wantting to fight gentrification. You can’t do this unless you somehow forbid the sale of private property from one party to another, which would infringe on the civil liberties of both.
Second, gentrification of the 3rd ward is and will be a godsend for UH. Pretend that you have recently moved to Texas and you don’t have any pre-conceived notions or biases about state and local universites and you plan on touring all of them. Given the way the neighborhoods around the UH campus look, you might be inclined to think that UH is located in an area that is unsafe. Characteristics of surrounding neighborhoods are not lost on prospective students; especially those students who will be enrolling full-time. In a nutshell, gentrification will only help to enhance the impression that UH makes on prospective students and visitors.