By Nneka Nnamdi
Not even a global pandemic can stop the gentrification train from steamrolling Baltimore.
Recently, Gov Hogan issued a stay at home order for all of Maryland to prevent a spike of COVID19 cases that could overwhelm Maryland’s healthcare systems and result in many deaths. Curiously, construction, demolition and landscaping were classified as essential under the order and the businesses have been legally able to operate throughout the rolling shutdown of the state that started several weeks ago.
Beyond emergency demolitions and construction of hospital facilities there doesn’t seem to be a need for these services to be classified as essential except that they are in alignment with the Governor’s plan to, “demolish as many city blocks of blight as possible,” according to Project CORE, a state initiative to, “improve economic opportunity and quality of life in Baltimore City neighborhoods.”
Nneka Nnamdi, founder and CEO of Fight Blight Bmore. (Courtesy Photo/fightblightbmore.com)
On the face of it you may be thinking that is a good thing, getting rid of blight.
But Project CORE like many other blight removal plans often hide insidious agendas and produce collateral damage i.e . gentrification.
Gentrification is a form of community and cultural genocide achieved through displacement of residents and disruption of community continuity.
I am talking about the clear lack of consideration being given to protecting some of the most vulnerable communities in Baltimore, those living in blighted neighborhoods especially those dealing with underlying health conditions like asthma.
For example 21223, 21217, 21213 all three primarily Black zip codes also have high property vacancy (30% or more) and asthma rates of 12%,11% and 10% respectively.
Last week on my drive home I watched the wind whip around dirt at the construction site for Mother Lange School on Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd. Under normal circumstances that site would not have meant much but things are far less than normal as we are in the middle of a global health pandemic caused by COVID19, a virus that quite literally can take your breath away. The dirt could be a trigger for asthma sufferers.
Demolitions (especially in concentrations) have been shown to put toxins in the air and soil that can trigger asthma and other respiratory issues. Demolition should be used strategically, primarily to address safety issues that can’t be dealt with otherwise, especially when there are no current development plans nor dedicated funding for redeveloping any resulting vacant lots. When there is no community vetted and funded plan for redevelopment demoed buildings sit mostly uncared for year after year. Vacant lots with no treatment and/or little to no upkeep can raise people’s heart rate by several beats per minute according to a recent study. This is a sign of chronic stress, which can along with other corollary factors, harm residents’ cardiovascular health as examined here. Also, given that many vacant lots stay that way for 3 or more years, demolition is merely converting one form of blight to another. Also, the soil composition left behind at many demolitions sites has high levels of lead and other toxins according to a study done. The potential impacts of toxic exposures resulting from concentrated demolitions is something to consider as stated here. Based on my lived experience in and research on blighted neighborhoods, demolition especially in concentrations seem likely to compromise the health of the community further. Sadly, this information doesn’t seem to be given consideration even during COVID19. I reached out to DCHD’s demolition department and asked if any additional consideration had been given to these concerns at this time. I haven’t received a response yet.
And, It is not lost on me that failures to protect another vulnerable group , the elderly during this crisis could result in yet another land loss for Black families. As the elderly Black homeowners may die disproportionately from COVID19, many are living without estate plans or assets/insurance to cover property expenses which often causes properties to be lost to tax sale, tangle title disputes and reverse mortgages. In these cases Black families would lose access to the wealth passed from one generation to the next. This is the type of disparate impact COVID19 could have on Black communities in the long term, in neighborhoods like Greater Mondawmin where according to resident Mona Diallo, “70% of the homeowners are over 65”. This could swing the door wide open for gentrification. Black communities can’t afford this type of hit to the pockets.
Nneka Nnamdi is the founder and CEO of Fight Blight Bmore, an economic, environmental, and social justice initiative led by the community and informed by data to address the issue of blight.
The opinions on this page are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the AFRO.
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