A major focus of U.S. aging policies and programs is supporting the ability of older adults to age in place, based on evidence that neighborhoods become increasingly important in later life due to place attachment and the belief that aging in place can lead to optimal health and well-being. Gentrification, which occurs when more affluent residents move into a neighborhood that was previously occupied by lower-income residents, has received limited attention in gerontological scholarship. The percent of neighborhoods experiencing gentrification has increased in the U.S., and therefore the ramifications of gentrification are receiving more attention from policymakers, researchers, and the media, yet the potential repercussions for older adults are often ignored. To address this gap, this symposium will examine the consequences of neighborhood renewal for two groups of older adults: those who are involuntarily displaced, and those who continue to age in place. The first two papers will discuss a qualitative study of low-income senior housing residents in Detroit, Michigan who have been involuntarily relocated because of their building’s conversion to market rate rents in a deliberate strategy of neighborhood gentrification. The third paper will present findings from a study combining data from the National Health & Aging Trends Study and the U.S. Census to examine the quality of life of older adults living in gentrifying neighborhoods, particularly for those with limited financial resources. The co-coordinator for Age-Friendly Portland, a city experiencing particularly high rates of neighborhood gentrification, will serve as the discussant.
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