Displacement and San Antonio's 'Latino High Line'

Kriston Capps reports that revitalization efforts are ramping up in the San Pedro Creek neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas. San Pedro Creek Culture Park is being described as a "Latino High Line" that will both restore the local ecosystem and bring cultural and artistic features highlighting the Latino heritage of the area.

But community activists are concerned that the redevelopment will also displace vulnerable residents. Similar projects in other cities have led to skyrocketing housing costs, and San Antonio’s River Walk project has already shown the impacts this type of development can have on a neighborhood:

The riverfront saw a transformational expansion of parkland, shops, walkways, and restaurants that bougified the San Antonio River a decade ago. The city is only beginning to learn the lesson that while growth is good, it poses risks for residents on the wrong side of a steep income drop-off. 

In response to the looming threat, the city council recently approved $1 million for a Risk Mitigation Fund to help displaced residents. However, activists say the fund is not enough. "What San Antonio needs, according to [Amelia] Adams, is a displacement risk mitigation policy with teeth. The fund authorized by the city council on Thursday does not come with any obligations for developers," notes Capps.