Write a paragraph about the film “Rezoning Harlem”

The paragraph only needs 100-200 words. But it has to answer the following question.

In Rezoning Harlem, we learn that rezoning is essential to the gentrification of Harlem. The process is both economic and political. Rezoning did not only displace the Black population in Harlem but it also increased the white and wealthier population there as well. However, the question for debate is: Are NYC’s rezoning plans (created by the City) causing displacement?

First, according to Vicki Been who was the former commissioner at New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and is now a professor at New York University, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) is necessary and that the City cannot adopt community-led rezoning plans, because these rezoning plans will “take many more years” for implementation. This refusal to pass community-led rezoning plans is also due to the immediately needs of children. Therefore, she argues “So, imperfect it (MIH; and the City’s pro-developer rezoning) is, rezoning now to build more market rate housing, with the requirement that it include between 20 to 30 percent of the apartments as permanently affordable housing, is preferable to losing another generation to the no-growth, wall-the-city policies that follow from supply skepticism.” In other words, Been argues that market rate housing is necessary because it could bring “affordable” housing to a generation of tenants (through tax-subsidies and pro-developer goodies) – even, when as Angotti argues, MIH is the “Trojan Horse” of displacement. Insofar that MIH is included in the zoning packages, therefore, the City’s rezoning plans do not necessarily create displacement.

Second, Been also argues that 80% of NYC’s affordable housing units are for “extremely-low, very low, and low-income” families. As Angotti argues, the measurement for the levels of income (how to classify low-income and middle-income) is involved with an AMI that does not reflect the low-income population within NYC, because the current AMI includes the wealthiest counties in NYS. Therefore, what is “low-income,” “very low” income or “extremely” low-income for Vicki Been is questionable. MIH and its various tax subsidies will only help the developers; increasing housing stocks on the supply side does not translate into a balance between the supply and demand. The City’s rezoning plans that involve MIH, tax subsidies, the protection for the wealthiest, will only cause more displacement.

After watching Rezoning Harlem, how do you answer the question of the debate? – Are NYC’s rezoning plans (created by the City) causing displacement? What is “racist” about NYC’s rezoning plans

…………………………Answer preview………………………………

Any gentrification move creates displacement and the rezoning plans by NYC are no exception. When developers build new strictures in the areas local communities will be displaced primarily because they cannot afford the life of an urbanized area. In fact, displacement has already begun……………………………

APA

331 words

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