The Dangers of Gentrification in San Jose
San Jose is not unfamiliar with its gentrification issue—rent in low-income neighborhoods has only risen throughout the years as an increasing number of development projects have been initiated in wealthier surrounding neighborhoods. At the center of this issue is low-income households of color. Gentrification has only increased the risk of displacement of these households in San Jose and is projected to continue doing so in the future.
According to the Bay Area Equity Atlas, 31% of low-income households live in gentrified neighborhoods. With rent already so high, gentrification causes it to only become higher, making it more difficult for these households to keep up with costs. Rent in Santa Clara County has increased 6.3% from the end of 2020 to the end of 2021 (California Housing Partnership) as well, and it can be connected to the effects of gentrification.
Despite the City of San Jose acknowledging its issue of gentrification, many development projects have been approved, regardless. For example, the San Jose Flea Market has existed since 1960 and is a place where locals and visitors alike can visit many shops, support local businesses, and appreciate the vibrant clash of cultures it has to offer. Even as the flea market has been thriving for 62 years, its hundreds of vendors are under the threat of being displaced due to an upcoming development project the owners of the land and the city have approved of. This development project will consist of constructing an urban village right on the flea market’s site. There would only be a small area for a few vendors to run their shops, and it would displace the rest. Many families rely on the income from their shops at the flea market and displacing them would put them at a severe disadvantage. Many of the vendors are also undocumented immigrants who are only able to earn an income through the flea market.
The San Jose Flea Market is only one of many sites that is becoming gentrified in San Jose. Gentrification disproportionately affects low-income households of color, making it a challenge to pay high rents and afford other necessities. San Jose is not the only city to have the issue of gentrification either—it affects plenty of more cities and many more low-income families nationally, and should receive more acknowledgement across the country today.
