Oakland Projects and Business Development (exemption, financed, senior housing)

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by PixelatedTherapy

I think it's cool that Oakland is becoming more desirable, but no one seems to understands that this type of yuppie aimed development is displacing thousands of working class people in Oakland, which isn't fair and seems to be predatory in some cases.

The working class are going to be displaced whether these are built or not. It has already been happening. If you build them, then at least the yuppies have a place to go without taking over the places the working class reside. Demand > Supply always makes prices go up. SF is getting expensive so the yuppies are coming over regardless.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by PixelatedTherapy

I think it's cool that Oakland is becoming more desirable, but no one seems to understands that this type of yuppie aimed development is displacing thousands of working class people in Oakland, which isn't fair and seems to be predatory in some cases.

I am all for developments in downtown near BART where the land has been underutilized for decades. This does not cause displacement. Hipsters moving to Fruitvale or West Oakland? That causes displacement. Let's get everyone moving to those former office buildings that have been abandoned since the 1989 quake or before.

[ketch89]

Originally Posted by PixelatedTherapy

I think it's cool that Oakland is becoming more desirable, but no one seems to understands that this type of yuppie aimed development is displacing thousands of working class people in Oakland, which isn't fair and seems to be predatory in some cases.

I'll echo jade: gentrification (and thus displacement) started before new housing was built. It's classic chicken and egg, the demand for housing gives developers the ability to build. If the demand didn't come first, these projects wouldn't get built.

Originally Posted by jade408

I am all for developments in downtown near BART where the land has been underutilized for decades. This does not cause displacement. Hipsters moving to Fruitvale or West Oakland? That causes displacement. Let's get everyone moving to those former office buildings that have been abandoned since the 1989 quake or before.

I have to say to jade though, it's 100% okay to just say "white people," or "more affluent people," etc when talking about gentrification. Calling new residents "hipsters" though, is akin to white people calling blacks "thugs." It's needlessly characterizing people as "the other" for the purpose of denigration.

Providing affordable housing is not the responsibility of individual homebuyers, it's the responsibility of the City of Oakland and the State of California. The idea that "hipsters" should just "stay out of West Oakland and the Fruitvale" is unfairly pinning blame for social ills on regular people who just need somewhere to live.

[PixelatedTherapy]

Originally Posted by ketch89

I'll echo jade: gentrification (and thus displacement) started before new housing was built. It's classic chicken and egg, the demand for housing gives developers the ability to build. If the demand didn't come first, these projects wouldn't get built.



I have to say to jade though, it's 100% okay to just say "white people," or "more affluent people," etc when talking about gentrification. Calling new residents "hipsters" though, is akin to white people calling blacks "thugs." It's needlessly characterizing people as "the other" for the purpose of denigration.

Providing affordable housing is not the responsibility of individual homebuyers, it's the responsibility of the City of Oakland and the State of California. The idea that "hipsters" should just "stay out of West Oakland and the Fruitvale" is unfairly pinning blame for social ills on regular people who just need somewhere to live.

I agree with this.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by ketch89

I'll echo jade: gentrification (and thus displacement) started before new housing was built. It's classic chicken and egg, the demand for housing gives developers the ability to build. If the demand didn't come first, these projects wouldn't get built.



I have to say to jade though, it's 100% okay to just say "white people," or "more affluent people," etc when talking about gentrification. Calling new residents "hipsters" though, is akin to white people calling blacks "thugs." It's needlessly characterizing people as "the other" for the purpose of denigration.

Providing affordable housing is not the responsibility of individual homebuyers, it's the responsibility of the City of Oakland and the State of California. The idea that "hipsters" should just "stay out of West Oakland and the Fruitvale" is unfairly pinning blame for social ills on regular people who just need somewhere to live.

I m using the word hipster intentionally here. Only because it feels like the demographic seeking out Fruitvale and West Oakland right now line up well with the hipster culture, and not all of those people are white. Hipster feels a lot more inclusive.

Hipster culture, for this purpose: likes transit, local food, gardening/urban farms, has pets not kids, likes "alternative culture that is suddenly mainstream, lives a "car-lite" lifestyle, uses x-sharing services (uber, lyft, airbnb). I am sure I am forgetting some attributes. It is not the same demographic that wants to live in the Marina or Orinda.

And honestly, if I moved to West Oakland tomorrow, I'd be a gentrifier too.

The preferences of these "hipsters" is different. The gentrification wave isn't hitting east Oakland in the same way, because east Oakland doesn't have the attributes of frequent transit and walkable community scale. The parts of Oakland gentrifying/appreciating are walkable and close to transit. We need more housing to target this demographic.

[Obamadon1]

Originally Posted by PixelatedTherapy

I think it's cool that Oakland is becoming more desirable, but no one seems to understands that this type of yuppie aimed development is displacing thousands of working class people in Oakland, which isn't fair and seems to be predatory in some cases.

Housing proposals in Oakland have been almost exclusively on land not previously used for housing. No one is being displaced by new housing in Oakland.

[ketch89]

Originally Posted by jade408

I m using the word hipster intentionally here. Only because it feels like the demographic seeking out Fruitvale and West Oakland right now line up well with the hipster culture, and not all of those people are white. Hipster feels a lot more inclusive.

Hipster culture, for this purpose: likes transit, local food, gardening/urban farms, has pets not kids, likes "alternative culture that is suddenly mainstream, lives a "car-lite" lifestyle, uses x-sharing services (uber, lyft, airbnb). I am sure I am forgetting some attributes. It is not the same demographic that wants to live in the Marina or Orinda.

Aside from "alternative culture that is suddenly mainstream," all of those things describe millennials in general. I think you know that "hipster" is a slur, meaning pretentious gentrifiers with eclectic cultural tastes (sometimes enjoyed ironically). Try calling one of your white friends a hipster, and see if they appreciate it...

[04kL4nD]

millennials and hipsters are NOT the same thing. i think jade is perfect at describing EXACTLY what Bay Area hipsters are like.

[Stephen1110]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

The working class are going to be displaced whether these are built or not. It has already been happening. If you build them, then at least the yuppies have a place to go without taking over the places the working class reside. Demand > Supply always makes prices go up. SF is getting expensive so the yuppies are coming over regardless.

Exactly. Which is why the activists and community groups are shooting themselves in the foot by opposing the lake merritt tower.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by ketch89

Aside from "alternative culture that is suddenly mainstream," all of those things describe millennials in general. I think you know that "hipster" is a slur, meaning pretentious gentrifiers with eclectic cultural tastes (sometimes enjoyed ironically). Try calling one of your white friends a hipster, and see if they appreciate it...

It is not a slur in my circles. Most people call themselves hipster. Most of my coworkers self-identify s hipsters. As for people my age, we think we are a little old to be hipsters. So it is rephrased as hipster interests. Or hipster-ish. It is no more slur-y than calling someone grunge or alternative.