The Rise of the Suburban Poor
In 2004, a documentary called 
The End of Suburbia predicted that the suburbs were potentially “destined to become the slums of tomorrow” thanks to the impending threat of peak oil. That didn’t happen–the threat of peak oil has now been replaced by out-of-control climate change–but suburbs are declining, just for a different reason.
According to a new report put out by the Brookings Institute, more poor inhabitants of the U.S. now live in suburbs than in cities and rural areas. Between 2002 and 2011, the population of the suburban poor rose 67%. That’s over twice the number seen in urban areas.
This should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched the rapid gentrification of American cities. Affluent residents generally no longer elect to live in the suburbs; they’d rather live near all the amenities of cities, which are increasingly catering to their needs. But that’s not all.
Urban gentrification has played a big part in the rise of the suburban poor, but the trend has been accelerated by other factors, including the loss of manufacturing jobs, the housing bust (which impacted many of those suburban manufacturing workers), and the growth of the suburbs in general, which has in turn led to an increase in low-paying service-industry jobs in the mire of suburban sprawl.
The study’s authors write:
Despite these trends, the public policy framework for addressing poverty in place in the United States remains largely urban-oriented and ill-equipped to address the geographic scale of today’s need. That need, of course, has not left urban areas but has grown well beyond their borders. Moreover, the problems of regionalizing poverty have been exacerbated by a weak economy and increasingly limited resources for nonprofits, philanthropies, and government at all levels.
None of this means that the urban poor should be ignored. As gentrification increases, they’ll need more help than ever. But as I’ve watched San Francisco set its sights on gentrifying one of the last remaining “troubled” neighborhoods in the city, I’ve often wondered: “What happens to everyone that gets kicked out?” The Brookings Institute has provided a clear–and troubling–answer.
Check out the Confronting Suburban Poverty in America website for community profiles, case studies, and an action toolkit.
scientific america
BillT on Wed, 22nd May 2013 12:49 pm
America is becoming a 3rd world country. The cities will be the last place you want to be when the SHTF. That includes most countries in the West.
Arthur on Wed, 22nd May 2013 1:03 pm
Urban gentrification? I thought that the yuppies were dead?!
Arthur on Wed, 22nd May 2013 1:06 pm
“That includes most countries in the West.”
Some countries more than others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_Quality_of_Living_Survey
Honolulu – 31 (US #1)
London – 38 (UK #1)
Collapsing Europe.lol
DC on Wed, 22nd May 2013 9:27 pm
I have seen a (few) articles which touch on this issue. This outcome was almost inevitable given how poorly structured and thought out ‘suburbia’ is. Any structure or organization that is unsustainable and is incapable of being self-supporting in any way, will tend to decay(ie become poorer) over time, unless wealth is pumped in from the outside to sustain it. Suburbia cannot provide its own, or even fraction of its own, power, food, water or employment. It is nearly 100% reliant on external sources. Since suburbia was propped up only by artificially cheap energy and resources until fairly recently, growing poverty is the inevitable result.
And what makes people poor? Well, mainly the vain effort to keep suburbia going in its current form. An expensive and futile effort. That why those that remain behind, will get poorer over time. Only once they cut there losses and move to a more sustainable living mode can the poverty slide be averted.
MrEnergyCzar on Thu, 23rd May 2013 12:27 am
One of the best films on Peak Oil ever…
MrEnergyCzar
Collapse is great too….
Beery on Thu, 23rd May 2013 12:55 am
Yeah, peak oil has nothing to do with this. Riiiiight.
BillT on Thu, 23rd May 2013 1:52 am
If you own a home with a lawn and all, you can expect an annual maintenance expense of at least 3-5% of the value of the home to keep it in good shape. With the planned obsolescence of everything from appliances to roofing, siding, etc. a 20th century home will decay to nothing before the last mortgage payment if no maintenance is done regularly. That means an additional annual cost of $6,000 – $10,000 for an average $200,000 home.
If you own a home and disagree, keep track of ALL expenses over the next 5 years and then come back and we will discuss it. Don’t forget a lawn mower, gas, weed killer, sharpening of blades, buying replacements, your labor/time, shrubbery tools and maintenance, labot/time replacing the mechanicals in the water tank of the commode, plumber (?), changing the filter in the A/C unit(s), labor/time, cleaning materials and equipment, labor/time, and on and on…
As the house ages there is painting, re-roofing, maybe residing, replacement of sliding doors, windows, furnace, A/C, new flooring/carpet, new appliances, etc. on and on …
Most homes are money pits, not investments/assets.