Shifting Neighborhoods, Shifting Health: A Longitudinal Analysis of Gentrification and Health in Los Angeles County

Abstract

Gentrification offers an interesting case of neighborhood change because it is characterized by an influx of capital, rapid upgrades to the built environment, and physical and social displacement of residents and institutions. The simultaneous and relatively rapid transitions that occur during gentrification make accounting for duration of exposure particularly important when exploring the relationship between gentrification and individual well-being. Though a large literature explores how the residential context, as well as the timing and duration of exposure to relatively stable neighborhood conditions, affects health, little is known about how duration of exposure to gentrification is linked to the health of longtime residents. Using restricted, longitudinal data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey, I ask (1) how is duration of exposure to gentrification linked to individual health? (2) How is gentrification differentially linked to individual health outcomes across ethnoracial groups? Results demonstrate that a longer duration of residence in a gentrifying neighborhood is associated with improved self-reported health. This analysis suggests that efforts must be made to allow longtime residents to remain in their neighborhoods as they undergo change to ensure that these residents are able to reap the health benefits of the neighborhood improvements that accompany gentrification.