Navigating a Gentrifying Neighborhood: Examining the Impact of a HOPE VI Mixed Income Housing Development on the Social Connectedness of Young People

Abstract

Neighborhood redevelopment creates inevitable disruption in the lives of young people, particularly through the demolition of social communities. For almost 30 years, public housing neighborhoods have been completely demolished to make way for mixed income housing developments in increasingly coveted urban spaces. The mixed income housing model, a form of state-sponsored gentrification, increases investment in historically disinvested areas and socially and economically “mixes” residents across racial and economic lines. This study examined the effect of a HOPE VI mixed income redevelopment process in the South Lincoln public housing development in Denver, Colorado, on the social connections of youth. Young people’s experiences of residential transition and social connectedness were examined through constructivist grounded theory, as well as a combination of descriptive statistics, egocentric social network analysis and geographic information systems (GIS) mapping to assess the size, strength, and spatial nature of social connections. Eighteen young people described the redevelopment as gentrification that was driven by race, profit, and power. They illuminated the loss of home as a reinforcement of harm through neighborhood redevelopment, continued social connection despite diminished community connectedness, and overall nuances from sharing their own story. The findings illustrate the critical nature of centering young people through social justice initiatives and investments as well as the integration of critical race theory as a perspective that informs the model of mixed income housing.