Implementation Strategy

Many of the goals and policies included in the Plan have the potential to contribute to gentrification and involuntary displacement across Charlotte, especially in neighborhoods most vulnerable to displacement. Factors contributing to involuntary displacement can impact residents and businesses. These factors and the loss of long-time residents and local, small businesses in key neighborhoods can weaken the social fabric of a community.

Involuntary displacement must be addressed at multiple levels to make the most progress in protecting those residents and businesses that are most vulnerable. Key aspects of combating involuntary displacement include:

• Produce enough housing for residents at all income levels.
• Preserve the affordable housing that already exists.
• Protect current residents from displacement where neighborhoods are changing rapidly.
• Provide sufficient and affordable commercial space to support new, small, and locally owned businesses.
  Goals and policies within the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan and existing housing programs provide a strong foundation to provide a sufficient housing supply and to preserve subsidized affordable housing. While the existing tools are robust, additional tools should be explored to produce and preserve affordable housing, and specific action should be taken to better protect vulnerable households from involuntary displacement, especially in neighborhoods changing most rapidly. In addition, tools and strategies should be explored to provide sufficient and affordable commercial space to support vulnerable businesses, especially those that are locally owned.
  
  While there is no silver bullet to combat the involuntary displacement that can result from public and private investment in areas of need, there are a myriad of tools that have been proven to contribute to residents and businesses staying in place, even when their neighborhoods are changing relatively quickly. As a key aspect of implementing the Comprehensive Plan, the following measures should be enacted upon Plan adoption.
• Establish the Charlotte Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization Commission (Charlotte’s NEST);
• Develop an Anti-Displacement Strategy including new and existing tools with greater community participation in strengthening existing tools and developing new tools and strategies to meet housing needs and protect vulnerable residents and businesses from displacement;
• Establish a Displacement Dashboard including, but not limited to, Recent and Current Change (Neighborhood Change Score), Planned Change (Place Type Changes and Public Infrastructure Improvements), and Vulnerability to Displacement (Vulnerability to Displacement Index); and
• Track and Update the Equity Metrics included in the Comprehensive Plan.
  Policy direction provided within Section 3 of the Comprehensive Plan under Goal 2 recommends that the City commission an Anti-Displacement Stakeholder Group/Commission composed of neighborhood leaders, housing advocates, community organizers, developers and residents threatened by housing displacement. A major charge of Charlotte’s NEST should be launching an Anti-Displacement Study that evaluates and results in an Anti-Displacement Strategy with specific tools and strategies for protecting residents of moderate to high vulnerability of displacement.
  
  As Charlotte’s NEST begins this work, it is important to note that different tools and strategies are often appropriate in different circumstances. The Anti-Displacement Study should acknowledge the intended and unintended consequences of recent, current and planned public and private investments and improvements, especially in neighborhoods most vulnerable to displacement. Key considerations should include:
• People: The Comprehensive Plan’s Equitable Growth Framework establishes an initial index to measure and identify populations most vulnerable to displacement. Anti-Displacement strategies and tools should be targeted to neighborhoods and households with moderate to high vulnerability to displacement.
• Place: A key implementation action of the Comprehensive Plan will be mapping Future Place Types. When completed, the adopted Future Place Type map can be used to assess the degree of change planned for each area of the community and generally organized into three types of Place Type change:
• Improving Existing Place Types: The Comprehensive Plan includes 10 Place Types and a set of aspirational characteristics for each. Even in areas where the Future Place Type mapping does not propose a change from the existing development pattern on the ground, change will likely be necessary to improve access, make neighborhoods more walkable, and to add appropriate amenities and services.
• Evolution to a New Place Type in the Same Category (Live, Work or Play): In comparing Future Place Type mapping to existing development patterns, there will be some areas that evolve to a new Place Type, but one that is similar to what exists today. For instance, an area currently fitting the description of a Community Activity Center may have a Future Place Type designation of Regional Activity Center.
• Transformation to a New Place Type (in a Different Category): The most significant planned change will result from a Future Place Type designation that is dramatically different from existing conditions, especially across the general categories of live, work and play. For instance, an area that is currently a Commercial place that is designated as a Community Activity Center in Future Place Type mapping is planned for significant change.
• Projects: Public improvements can also contribute to gentrification and involuntary displacement, especially in the most vulnerable communities that often are most need of investment in their community. An assessment of planned public improvement projects should include consideration of:
• Improvements to Existing Infrastructure: Repaving a roadway or replacing an aging water line may not contribute to involuntary displacement, but the addition of pedestrian and bicycle facilities to an existing roadway or an increase in utility capacity will likely attract private investment and contribute to the beginning of a cycle of gentrification.
• New Local Infrastructure: The creation of new local roads, trails, parks and open space in an area that lacked them can also signal to the private sector (individuals, families and the development community) that an area is ripe for investment. This can also lead to gentrification and potential involuntary displacement.
• New Community/Regional Infrastructure: Larger scale infrastructure investments are often attributed with contributing to gentrification and involuntary displacement. While the public investment is not always the cause of displacement, understanding the correlation between new community and regional infrastructure and displacement is critical. Examples include regional parks, trails, roadways and transit facilities, as well as community facilities.
• Pressures: Market pressure and rising costs of housing and commercial property is perhaps the greatest threat to vulnerable residents and businesses. The City’s Housing Locational Scoring Tool includes a Neighborhood Change Score that should be used to better understand recent and current market trends and development pressures. Using median income, change in housing sales prices and permit volumes, the Neighborhood Change score indicates areas of increased real estate and construction activity. A high score in neighborhood change helps to identify the neighborhoods undergoing the most rapid price increases, property transfers and increased likelihood of resident displacement.

Identifying the appropriate tools and strategies for combating involuntary displacement should consider the various aspects and implications for People, Place, Projects and Pressures. An initial set of Anti-Displacement Tools for residents is included below for consideration and evaluation by Charlotte’s NEST. Efforts should be taken to identify a similar set of candidate tools and strategies for commercial property owners and tenants.