Who’s To Blame for Gentrification?

Most likely, no one in particular—but policy changes can alleviate the housing shortage and prevent displacement.

2 minute read

July 7, 2022, 12:00 PM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


As more neighborhoods and cities experience the impact of redevelopment, often termed gentrification, people seek individual culprits to pin the blame on. Whether it is the owners of the hip new coffeeshop, the developer building that new building, or the young professionals renting or buying homes in previously undesirable neighborhoods, the human need for attribution leads us to discount broader, institutional forces, according to Alan Ehrenhalt’s recent piece in Governing.

While “yuppies” or “hipsters,” whatever the term du jour is, are an easy target—“Most seriously, they raise rents and property taxes and inevitably force some poorer inhabitants to look elsewhere for lodging”—Ehrenhalt argues that “To hold them responsible for the discomforts of gentrification is essentially to blame the customer.”

Gentrification’s suppliers, Ehrenhalt writes, are indeed real estate companies and developers. “Yet for developers and landlords to be the true villains of gentrification, it would be necessary to determine that they are worse stewards than the small property owners who dominated poor neighborhoods in pre-gentrification days. There is no real evidence that this is the case.”

The real problem, according to Ehrenhalt, is the shortage of affordable housing supply and construction. “It’s the fault of an entrenched and complex system that has existed for decades and doesn’t have a perpetrator to put the finger on.” 

To Ehrenhalt, “The only way to make a serious dent in the shortage of moderately priced housing is to encourage more of it without demonizing the people living comfortably under the current rules.” 

While eliminating single-family zoning and permitting light density increases is one avenue for creating more housing, these policies probably won’t make a significant dent in the million of housing units needed to alleviate the current shortage. Ehrenhalt concludes, “To me, the only practical zoning solution is to stick to commercial corridors, and to build big there — tall apartment buildings, not duplexes or fourplexes” near transit lines that can accommodate families.

Tuesday, July 5, 2022 in Governing

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Man in teal shirt opening door to white microtransit shuttle with cactus graphics and making inviting gesture toward the camera.

Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps

New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.

June 13 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Group of people at table set ouf with picnic food on street during a neighborhood block party.

This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors

A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.

June 13 - The Kansas City Star

Crowd gathered with protest signs on April 5, 2025 on steps of Minnesota state capitol protesting Trump cuts to social security and other federal programs.

Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us

Keeping our heads down and our language inoffensive is not the right response to the times we’re in. Solidarity and courage is.

June 13 - Shelterforce Magazine