GENTRIFICATION. : The process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents.

Gentrification is taking place across the landscape of Urban America. The dynamics of displacement results in winners and losers. Most often the winners are new white affluent residents and city governments that acquire a new tax base. The losers are most often black, brown, poor and older residents. In many of these areas the black urban church that has been an anchor in the community finds itself on the losing end. This loss comes at a high price for it is the loss of presence, historical legacy and the destruction of future empowerment. The purpose of this project is to design and document the cross denominational efforts of a group of black urban churches in Washington, DC to craft and implement a strategy to mitigate some of the effects of gentrification and navigate through a crossroad of decisions that involves relocation, closure or reinvention.

This will be shared with churches in other urban areas under going gentrification.