Public Service providers’ Perspectives on and Responses to the Health and Social Consequences of Gentrification in Atlanta, Georgia

Abstract

Service providers’ perspectives on, and responses to the health and social impacts of gentrification have been underexplored. This study’s objectives were to assess health and social service providers’ perspectives on the causes and impacts of gentrification and their responses to gentrification’s impacts. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 service providers sampled using maximum variation and snowball sampling, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. Inductive thematic analysis was used. Providers characterized gentrification as increases in community-level social and economic advantage and displacement of Black and Brown people. Neighborhood divestment and speculative development were reported determinants of gentrification. Revitalization and economic growth were reported positive effects of gentrification; negative ramifications included inflated housing costs, residential displacement, and reduced access to health and social services. Providers enacted multiple solutions to mitigate the negative consequences they observed, including educating residents on housing rights and collaborating with other organizations to expand outreach to displaced residents. Service providers are integral to contributing to knowledge on the causes and impacts of gentrification, and absolving problems resulting from gentrification. Additional research documenting service provider’s responses to the impacts of gentrification are needed to inform how future community development strategies are developed to create more benefits than harms.

Keywords:

• Gentrification
• health
• social services
• qualitative research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions [U54MD000214], National Institute of Mental Health [T32MH109436; T32MH109433], and National Institute on Drug Abuse [R01DA056235].