A tale of two Harlems: Gentrification, social capital, and implications for aging in place

Abstract

Background and objectivesIncreasingly, older adults desire to remain in their communities for as long as possible, referred to as “aging in place”. While much of the aging in place literature focuses on housing specifically, there is a growing sense that social capital and community connectedness are important to the aging in place experience. The current study explores social capital in a gentrifying community to better understand the effects of rapid neighborhood change on older, African American adults. Research design and methodsUsing a qualitative approach, group interviews were collected across nine senior housing sites (N = 98) in Central Harlem, a historically African American neighborhood in New York City. Research questions examined how older adults ‘staying put’ in a gentrifying neighborhood perceive changes in their social networks and larger community. ResultsMajor themes included shifting racial dynamics of the neighborhood, disruption of social ties, lack of intergenerational social cohesion and lack of social spaces for older adults, revealing a complex narrative of the network consequences of neighborhood change. Discussion and implicationsThis study extends previous research, highlighting specific ways in which gentrification compromises aspects of social capital in a once predominantly Black neighborhood.