Gentrification in Richmond, Virginia's Church Hill Neighborhood

Church Hill is becoming one of Richmond, Virginia's most desirable neighborhoods. Increased interest in the area means rising prices push some longtime residents - mostly people of color - out. In this video J.L. Roots who's lived in the area for 75 years talks about how the neighborhood has changed.
This story is part of WCVE News’ ongoing series on housing called “Where We Live.” The series looks at a range of issues, from affordability and housing policy, to homelessness and segregation. Get more stories at ideastations.o....

[@checkyoursix5623]

Before World War II, Church Hill was mostly white folks. After the war, people started moving to the suburbs. The practice of 'block busting' grew when a black family would move in, and the next day the neighbor's homes had a 'for sale' sign in the yard. Next thing you know, the whole block was black. Then block after block, until Church Hill was ALL black, except for some of the far-out locations, like south of Oakwood Avenue - 35th st., 36th st., 37th st., 38th st., etc. and further out on the Mechanicsville Pike.There were some 'holdouts' but they were few and far between. Pretty soon, south Meadow Street, around the Maymont area, as well as Highland Park, Barton Heights, and other previously white neighborhoods became all black in the '60's & '70's. Somewhere around the '80's and '90's it became 'fashionable' again to buy the older homes and restore them. The former 'Shockoe Bottom' and Fulton underwent urban renewal, and many black residents moved up the hill to Montrose.

[@itsforrestps]

So sad but this is happening everywhere across our country, money matters more than people

[@TrollinOntheRVA]

This is so sad to watch for me being from Richmond

[@norms3913]

If you move to Richmond you better be off living in henrico county

[@lamarwilliams9439]

So Church Hill isnt the same Church Hill as when I was coming up in the 80s and 90s. It is gentrified. But if you want to live there just understand that when you gentrify the goal is to rid the area of past issues and make it a safe walkable area. That doesn’t happen overnight. You have to be urban smart to live in this area. This ain’t suburbia.

[@norms3913]

Churchill area is a crime ridden area that you need to armed

[@1980havplenty]

And.... obviously it's not an issue