Gentrification is a word that has lost its context, simply coming to mean that the wealthy are getting nice, new things built for them and legacy residents, who are disproportionately lower-income people of color, are getting displaced. Their history and legacy are getting replaced one coffee shop and brewery at a time. This narrative makes headlines, but is it the story that is actually playing out? FCS has said that a healthy mixed-income strategy can do development without displacement. But is a mixed-income approach just a new term for the same traumas being visited upon historically Black and brown neighborhoods? Join Shawn Duncan in conversation with Jim Wehner, Joi Jackson, and former South Atlanta neighbor, Lisa Haygood.
Is Mixed-Income Housing the New Gentrification?
Show notes
Shawn Duncan, Director of The Lupton Center
Dr. Shawn Duncan is the Director of FCS’s Training and Consulting Division, The Lupton Center. Shawn comes to FCS from the nonprofit leadership sector with research and writing focused on pedagogies for social impact. In his previous careers he has focused on multi-sector coalition building for community impact, content and curriculum design, group facilitation, leadership development, and immigration reform advocacy. As the leader of The Lupton Center team, Shawn brings a visionary voice for innovation, a strategic mind for resource development, and the leadership acumen to support and equip the team for success. He loves being a part of a mission-driven team that finds joy in one another while doing such important work.
Joi Jackson, Director of Development at FCS
Joi Jackson is a fourth generation Atlanta-native who grew up in Southwest Atlanta and spent the first decades of her career as an entrepreneur, political campaign manager, and tireless worker in public and private schools. She joined FCS in 2020 after serving for six years with the East Lake Foundation raising funds for community-focused initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University.
Jim Wehner, President of FCS
Jim Wehner is a skilled organizational leader with more than 15 years of experience in neighborhood development in under-resourced communities, with a strong focus on creating, financing, and executing affordable housing and neighborhood-based small businesses. He joined FCS in 2008 as the Executive Director of our Mixed-Income Housing arm, and moved to his current position in 2014. He holds a Master of Arts in Divinity and Ministry from Reformed Theological Seminary.
Resources:
- For more information about the work of the Lupton Center, please visit our website: https://www.luptoncenter.org/
- For more information about the work of Focused Community Strategies, please visit our website: https://fcsministries.org/
Special thanks to our podcast editor, Tim Rhodes, for making this episode possible. If you are interested in working with Tim, you can contact him via email at tim@whistlingblue.com, or through his website, whistlingblue.com. If you have questions, feedback, or wish to contact us, please email Bekah Klein at bekah@fcsministries.org.