Critical Point 6:
Gentrification Task Force (2004):
Historic preservation runs at a cost of many social issues. One of such issues have been Gentrification. Since Savannah adopted the Historic Preservation movement in 1950s, a substantial amount of low income and minority population were displaced from their neighborhood as restoration works were carried forward. However, a very few of them could return to their native communities as renovated houses became costly and unaffordable to them. As a result, once renowned for its mixed racial and cultural society, Savannah has been continuously growing as a gentrified urban area. Although, measures have been taken in late 1970s by the establishment of Savannah Landmark Rehabilitation Project (SLRP), effectively the problem was addressed in 2004 by the foundation of Gentrification Task Force by the Metropolitan Planning Commission. The members of the Task Force identified five neighborhoods experiencing gentrification and nine potential neighborhoods that are likely to experience. The Task Force also identifies the three stage gentrification process that most of the Savannah neighborhoods have been experiencing and have pointed out the key cause to be the raise in property tax by the city of Savannah as a result of property improvement. The Task Force has recommended five concerned areas namely, land use and zoning, affordable housing, economic development, education and training and redevelopment programs for the proposed actions to be taken into consideration for mitigating the gentrification process and stimulating residential revitalization. The inception of the Gentrification Task Force can be considered as the biggest turn over in the evolution of Savannah in the most recent two decades. Although, the movement is considerably new and so far, it has just identified the problems and solutions rather than actions, we can assume that in course of time this would be proven as a potential measure addressing a social issue which is in general very complex and multidirectional.