Research Paper on Displacement

Introduction

Displacement is the forceful movement of people from their area of residence to another area. Such occurrences often result in the massive loss and destruction of property which as a result affects the victims' social and personal lives. The regeneration of the elephant and castle is arguably one of the largest redevelopment programs in ever to take place in London. The project involves the demolition of the Heygate estate which would then result in the development of the Elephant and Castle shopping complex. This report aims to investigate the impacts of displacement as experienced by ten of the former social housing residents of Heygate estate.

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Additionally, it was projected to amount to the creation of new housing units and shopping and commercial spaces. Displacement of any kind causes a varying range of social and personal impact on individuals and families. Such has been the case with the Heygate displacement which affected several people. Tran (2011) notes that the purpose of developing an estate is to provide cheaper and accessible housing for the mass market. While this was the initial plan with the Heygate project, reports have indicated otherwise showing that a significant number of the properties under the project were sold to foreign investors. At the time of the demolitions, the estate was home to over 3000 people who were against the destructions because the houses were still in good condition (Moore 2011). The structures of the estates were futuristic in their design offering an ideal communal life complete with social hubs for the residents (Timberlake Jeffrey & Elaina 2016). This research aims to understand and come up with adequate responses to the impacts of relocation by former residents of Heygate estate. The Heygate displacement resulted in different psychological and economic repercussions to the former residents.

Research aim - To investigate the impacts of displacement as experienced by ten of the former social housing residents of Heygate estate.

The research objectives are first, to ascertain the extent of the effects of displacement on the social life and general well-being of the former residents. Secondly, the research intends to identify strategies used by the government towards movement of the residents. Thirdly, the research will also seek to improve on the understanding and assessment of impacts of displacement in gentrification on displaced people. Finally, this paper to clearly understand the factors that led to the displacement decision making and how?

Literature Review

Gentrification is typically carried out with a view of transforming the overall outlook of a particular locality from a low-income community to a middle-income estate (Department for Work and Pensions 2014). In most cases, authorities undertake gentrification purposely for improving the livelihoods of the people within the community. The overall improvements on these low-income areas into middle-class estates that were initially overlooked is characterized by the refurbishment of the housing facilities and development of consumption outlets that have a considerable income at the disposal. According to Atkinson (2012), such changes revitalize the locality from its former state of decline in facilities and general amenities. Taking the example of the Heygate demolitions in London, the local authorities in conjunction with private developers sought to change the living conditions of the Heygate estate residents while at the same time improving the overall outlook for the estate (Freeman Cassola & Cain 2016). While upgrading the state of the estate was the idea behind the demolitions, this was not the outcome. The whole project was chaotic with many false promises from the authorities (Millard-Ball 2012).

Effects of Gentrification on Displacement on Social Life and General Well-Being

While gentrification is typically undertaken with a good motive of upgrading the living conditions for the affected people, there are spill-over effects that arise as a result of such projects (Davidson & Lees 2010). All these negative impacts come in the form of psychological and economic drawbacks to the affected people. According to (Du Plessis Acioly & Rollnick 2013), the low-income residents are in most cases the most affected particularly considering that they make up the more significant percentage of the population in these communities (Randolph & Holloway 2007). Gentrification amounts to the displacement of people from their areas of residence to other locations. Lees et al. (2010) further emphasizes the same by arguing that displacement negatively affects the low-income population particularly when it comes to maintaining their state of livelihood. Landowners in such areas often use unscrupulous measures to evict tenants from the residence. One of the most common manners of eviction is by increasing the rental fee as Lopez-Morales (2011) notes. The rental prices rise, coupled with an increased demand for the property among the high-income population that is willing and can pay more forces the tenants out of the houses. Such actions causes psychological trauma among the affected people and economic confusion among the low-income families (Ocejo 2014).

Over time, there is a high likelihood that the value of the land in which such properties sit will significantly increase. This exciting prospect prompts landowners to sell their properties to high-income individuals with the capability to renovate them and improve the properties' appeal. With an increase on the land rates, the low income residents are often thrown into a state of confusion especially given their economic standing. In most of these cases, these tenants are forced to seek residence in other low income areas which in most cases may be distant thereby increasing their proximity to their places of work (Desmond Matthew Carl & Barbara 2015). In case of such cases, the tenants are left in a state of confusion which negatively affects them and their families psychologically. This argument is further supported by Atkinson Wulff & Spinney (2011) who conducted a study on gentrification in Sydney and Melbourne. The researcher used the qualitative methodology in the research and used interviews for data collection among displaced individuals. According to the research, one of the outstanding issues in the residences was the sudden increase in the amount of rent charged which made it difficult for low-income earners to live in the houses. The situation was worsened by the rise in development of high-income residential within the estate.

Gentrification also brings about trauma for the affected families which affect the victims psychologically. Wachsmuth & Weisler (2018) highlights that finding a new place of residence for the affected families as a significant stressor. In most cases, the affected families, considering their financial standing, will have to relocate to areas with even lower living standards compared to their previous homes (Murdie & Teixeira 2011). A majority of victims of evictions from low-income residential areas pointed out to having experienced serial displacements particularly as a result of increases in the amount of rent. As a result of the regular displacement, most of this population face social and psychological problems as a result (Oishi 2010). In some notable cases, such movements resulted in homelessness among some of the victims the result of which is traumatization (Owens 2012).

Having lived in these areas for long periods, some instances of displacement result trauma caused by place attachment. Such situations occur, particularly for the older generation. According to Manzo et al. (2008) who conducted research on the impacts of gentrification in the united states, the most notable implications of gentrification was the breaking of communal ties that had long been established which consequently interferes with the long-standing peace (De Verteuil 2011). The researcher further analyzes the meaning of the societies and communal relations before the displacements. He determined that the social functioning of these communities over time allowed the residents to form place attachments where bonds developed through the mutual support accorded to one another among the neighbors (Zukin 2011). Such relationships were however not witnesses in higher-income areas (Hyra 2015). Stronger mutual aids resulted in strong ties and stronger emotional attachments among the residents (Shaw & Hagemans 2015). Breakage of such bonds as a result of displacement can have adverse effects on the affected individuals.

Cases of gentrification often come with feelings of grief and anger among the displaced population (Shaw & Hagemans 2015). This mainly is the case among older people. According to a study that purposed to get the feeling of victims of eviction with the interviewees ranging from adults to younger people, the psychological impacts of displacement were found to be more adverse among older people as compared to the younger generation (haw 2008). In some cases, forceful eviction resulted in trauma among the older people, which in some instances resulted in deaths (Dooling 2009).

Displacement of people from low-income neighborhoods is a common occurrence in society (Somersan 2007). In some cases, gentrification causes health problems to the affected people. According to research by the Center for Disease Control, there are wide-ranging health impacts that face victims of gentrification (Brown-Saracino 2010). The severity of the situation is enormous that the Center for Disease Control put out a warning about the adverse effects that are a result of gentrification. According to them, displacement of people can result in lack of access to healthy food, health care, recreation and social networks, a situation that may cause serious health problems for cases where it is not correctly managed (Holland 2016). Some of these cases lead to serious mental issues for the affected people.

The government used different measure in evicting people from the estate. One of the most common actions that the government employed was by promising people new homes (Unesco 2011), (Tan 2008). The government, having denied the residents a voice in the form of a ballot to determine their future within the Heygate estate, the government told the residents that it lacked enough funds to maintain the estate (Lees & Ferreri 2016). As a consolation, the residents were then promised new homes, either in the new Heygate development or in other residential areas, referred to as early housing sites. In partnership with the housing association, the council had set out to build 1100 new social rented houses on plots owned by the council within the Elephant & Castle area (Aldridge Born, et al. 2015). According to the council, these houses would replace approximately 1200 units that would be demolished in the Heygate estate (Dugan 2013). Generally, the idea was that the council would give away six plots to the housing association which would in return build new homes in a system that would comprise private and affordable units as Heygatewashome.org n.d argues. The free land would subsidize these affordable units by the council, the sale of the private units and funds from grants (Lee 2017). Subsequently, residents would have access to the rehousing information pack which would be issued in the autumn of 2004 which would contain the details of the new homes. From these information packs, the residents would select the housing units they would prefer to move into at completion (City of Moreland, 2006).

Later on, it emerged that the earmarked areas, that is, the 16 council-owned plots were gr...