The people of Flatbush have been overlooked for too long. Approximately 14 years ago, I was a resident of the community. Around that time I was very active in the community. I took piano lessons in East Flatbush and my local Parks and Recreation center was the epicenter for all activities and sports. My elementary school was P.S. 221 which still stands on Empire Boulevard in between Troy Avenue and Schenectady Avenue. As active as I was in the community I relied on my parents to take me everywhere. They would always tell me stories of how the community has changed when they were growing up, as I am growing up, and now I can not look at it the same as I pass through from time to time. There’s a housing crisis going on in Flatbush, New York and there is very little research to explore this trend that has been going on for decades. The number one statistic that has fueled this research is that in the past ten years African American homeownership has dropped from 62% to approximately 22%. This is the same community that holds the Labor Day Parade year after year. The same community that brings together Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Barbadians, Grenadians, Haitians, and other Caribbean nations. The same community that organizes all types of cultural food to be made available to the public; Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Bajan Fried Flying Fish, Rice and Peas, Steam Veggies, and other soul-satisfying treats. This city’s annual celebration of cultural diversity at one location for one holiday, but where will these traditions continue in future years with these cultures being pushed out? For a long time these people were unaware of their impact until they found themselves downgraded from owners to renters and subject to rent hikes which they soon could no longer afford and have been displaced since. While they were being spread around the city, or worse, forced to settle outside the state or down the coast, new cultures were taking their place. Ironically, the same cultures that have displaced them time after time in the past. Many African Americans have an understanding of how their communities have changed, but many of them have not adapted to the educational aspect of this trend.
Historically, there were numerous reasons why this community was negatively impacted, however, while some of these reasons have diminished, some have evolved. In the past, income and other factors were a big contributor to why many African Americans could not secure mortgages. In relation to today’s society and housing market, many African Americans are still struggling to gain access to mortgages, but not as rarely as it was in the past. Now, their biggest concern is keeping up with the cash offers that appeal to homeowners who are looking to sell. This would mean that there would be less contingencies and risk for the homeowner to actually sell their house by accepting cash offers from Limited Liability Companies or Sole Proprietorships. However, in turn, these companies would turn back and rent out to the same people looking to own homes. With the housing market in the condition it is, some only have the choice to rent. Approximately 30 percent of homeowners actually occupy their buildings in Flatbush while 70% are occupied by renters. The wage and salary gap is not getting any better for African Americans either. Compared to Asian populations in Flatbush over the past 10 years, African American populations have made less progress (under 1k) in per capita income, but closely equal on average to Asain populations. While also only making almost half of the Per Capita Income of their white counterparts. In a historical context perspective, African Americans are almost equally making today, what their community collectively made on average in the 1990’s (in what seems to be in no regard to inflation). Historically there has been less discrimination in today’s society, but there are other forms of discrimination that many have yet to uncover such as this housing crisis in Flatbush, New York, 2022.
Flatbush Avenue and Church Avenue 1923 vs 2022
Flatbush Avenue and Rogers Avenue 1923 vs 2022
This project speaks for the unspoken community of Flatbush. Throughout my research I have relied heavily on census data due to the lack of reports or articles done on the Flatbush community. While the chances are slim, hopefully my work will be able to spark interest in others to continue to do research and propose studies of their own. Hopefully I will be able to get the opportunity to build on my work and have first hand experience on how the community is really changing through the eyes of the locals once again.
~Mark Zepeda
References
Boudinot, Jennifer. “Flatbush Photos.” Flatbush History, https://www.flatbushhistory.com/photos.
“Digital Collections.” DLC Catalog, https://dlc.library.columbia.edu/catalog?page=2&q=flatbush&search_field=all_text_teim.
Ditmas, Charles Andrew. “Brooklyn’s Garden; Views of Picturesque Flatbush : Ditmas, Charles Andrew, Pub. [from Old Catalog] : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, [Brooklyn, N.Y., C. A. Ditmas, 1 Jan. 1970, https://archive.org/details/brooklynsgardenv00ditm.
