My essay uses appeals to emotion and logic to the greatest extent. Since the City Council of Baltimore, as the primary audience, is an official body that uses a rational approach to decision-making, logical validation of the solution is particularly persuasive. On the other hand, the council members are the people who care about their communities and citizens, especially children who represent future generations. For that matter, in supporting point one, it is argued that the trust will allow for investing in the future by reducing citizen displacement of current and future generations. Long-term investment returns appeal to logos, and the reference to the displacement of future generations is a pathos that ignites an emotional response, which should encourage the rational decision to support the solution.
Introduction
Gentrification as a means of improving underprivileged neighborhoods has negative consequences for low-income populations residing in such areas. The National Low Income Housing Coalition (2019) states that “an exclusionary effect of gentrification is the high cost of rents that force low-income households to move to lower-cost neighborhoods with fewer resources” (para. 14). Such a devastating outcome of gentrification endangers the safety and opportunities for prosperity and wellbeing of such vulnerable populations as children, racial minorities, and the elderly. Therefore, to solve this problem and preserve equality in the urban areas of Baltimore, Maryland, the City Council should initiate a community land trust to provide the underprivileged with an opportunity to own their property. The opponents of such a solution might refer to the overall advantages of gentrification for the citizens. However, since increased rental fees lead to poverty in vulnerable populations, gentrification is a source of discrimination and inequality. Thus, it is imperative to establish a community land trust, which will eliminate the problem of citizen displacement, provide opportunities for business growth, and promote racial equity.
Conclusion
In summation, this essay has demonstrated that gentrification has significant long-term adverse outcomes for the underprivileged communities of Baltimore due to the need to relocate to low-income areas because of increased rent costs. Such a far-reaching and commonly under-addressed problem requires an immediate solution to prevent vulnerable populations from further suffering from poverty and improper housing. To solve the negative implications of gentrification in Baltimore, the City Council is strongly advised to establish a community land trust that would allow the urban residents at risk of displacement to own their property. Although gentrification policies are claimed to have significant benefits for the urban areas, the overlooked issue endangers vulnerable populations by leading to racial inequality. For that matter, the City Council should urgently initiate the trust to ensure that the future generations of urban citizens live in a safe, economically developed, and non-discriminatory environment.
Reflection on Feedback
When working on Assignment 2, I used the Instructor’s feedback provided for me after Assignment 1 completion. The overall feedback appraised my justification of the identified problem related to gentrification and emphasized the need for narrowing the issue related to gentrification in the urban areas. For that matter, when incorporating the feedback, I changed my initial writing in two ways. First, I narrowed a general problem of disadvantages of gentrification to only one, namely the discriminatory implications of the forced displacement of low-income residents. I researched the problem more and rewrote my supporting points to achieve this. Second, to strengthen the justification of the problem, even more, I incorporated more quotes that demonstrate the adverse outcomes of gentrification for underprivileged communities.
Reference
National Low Income Housing Coalition. (2019). Gentrification and neighborhood revitalization: What’s the difference?