Gentrification has become a divisive topic on conversations around Govanhill in recent years. Journalist Robbie Armstrong speaks to three of his neighbours from his Allison Street close to explore different perspectives on the problem.

*Some residents on one close in Allison Street.*

Words by Robbie Armstrong and photos by Virginie Chabrol

Definitions and interpretations of gentrification differ greatly. Often, the conversation focuses on its signifiers or symptoms: the overabundance of flat whites, well-heeled folks with small dogs, fixed-gear cyclists with spacers and sailor tattoos. But this comes at the detriment of another, more important discussion about the root causes of the problem – issues such as the housing crisis, lack of affordable homes, inadequate legislation, poverty and inequality.

While historians have traced the process of gentrification back to ancient Rome, it was first drawn to wider attention in its current context by the British sociologist Ruth Glass in 1964, when she described the influx of the middle class into London's working-class neighbourhoods, displacing former residents.

The late architectural critic Michael Sorkin described the process as “urban renewal with a sinister twist”, and “at pains to assert its ties to the kind of city life it is in the process of obliterating.” All the while, the democratic public realm is replaced by what he described as the “theme park” of modern urban living. Another term that often crops up is ‘improving’, but improving the area for and by whom? What impact does this ‘improvement’ have on local residents and businesses?

In Govanhill, the telltale signs appear all around us – the arrival of new coffee shops, restaurants, trendy businesses, the changing makeup of the area as people from more affluent places move in, the growth in rental properties and bidding wars for flats.

The arrival of these new residents changes a neighbourhood's social, racial or ethnic composition. The development of new, more expensive housing and businesses, which the new residents can afford, raises the average household income. This can lead to rising rent and living costs, discrimination against racial minorities, women, those in poverty and older adults.

While there might be benefits to renovating neighbourhoods, this change risks undoing an area’s history, and can make prices too high for its current residents. The saturation of cafés that serve wealthier residents can impact the local area’s food scene, and the arrival of chains threatens local businesses as rents increase.

As Scotland’s most multicultural area, and one with a history of housing problems and poverty, there is rightful concern about the impact of this current wave of gentrification. How will Govanhill’s speakers of 88 languages fare when faced with the effects of this transformation?

The area avoided the demolition of its tenements in the 1960s, and saw a vast programme of improvement of housing stock, the installing of modern amenities and the construction of new builds in gap sites. But the work was uncompleted, meaning three housing blocks in south west Govanhill – around 1400 homes – remained ‘unimproved’. Today, south west Govanhill experiences the most significant housing problems, including poor quality housing, high concentration of private landlords, high turnover of tenants and overcrowding.

Since 2015, The South-West Govanhill Property Acquisition and Repair Programme has been working to provide better living conditions and help reduce overcrowding in the area, to meet housing needs and provide support to new tenants and residents. By March 2020, Govanhill Housing Association had purchased 343 flats in the area in order to carry out repairs and necessary improvements to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Thankfully, there is more in the way of social housing than gentrified architecture and modern, often unaffordable flats in Govanhill (although even homes for social rent remain out of reach for many living under the poverty line). Housing association tenants are high in the area: Govanhill Housing Association manages more than 2,800 homes for social rent. In 2020, Scotland’s tenants’ union Living Rent set up a Govanhill branch to improve the rights of tenants in both the private and social sector.

The area feels more diverse today than it has ever been – a multiplicity of cultures, an orchestra of languages, local businesses and community initiatives, streets that hum with life. It has its problems, like any area – but this is a place that walks and speaks proudly, acts according to the needs of the whole community, and tries to effect positive change for all.

From the Govanhill Baths and MILK to Romano Lav and the Govanhill Community Development Trust, community organisations are working hard to protect the residents of this rich and diverse community – a bulwark against the more sinister effects of gentrification. It is a place that has stuck together in spite of rapid social change, acting towards common objectives, so the area may remain Scotland’s most diverse community for generations to come.

My close on Allison Street is a mix of different folk – people of varying ages and backgrounds, with renters, owner-occupied, temporary accommodation and housing association tenants of different backgrounds.

I worry about what impact I’m having.

Robbie Armstrong - a first time buyer’s perspective

I was born at the Southern General in 1989, and spent my first years at Mansionhouse Road. My youngest memories are from the Southside, albeit on the other side of the park from Govanhill: ice cream sundaes from the Brooklyn Cafe, exploring the Queen’s Park glasshouses with my dad, trips to the corner shop for sweeties.

My family moved to Peebles when I was three, but I returned to Glasgow for university in 2008, then ended up back in the Southside in 2014 after living abroad. What drew me here were the people, the community, local businesses, community organisations, and the green spaces.

But in all honesty, I was only able to buy a flat here thanks to the generosity of a family member who helped me with a deposit in 2019. I am uncomfortable about this privilege, and feel uneasy that I ended up in Govanhill as much through market forces and inherited wealth than any other reason or tie to the area.

I worry about how quickly the area is changing, what impact I’m having, and if anything can be done to mitigate the effects of the gentrification I am irrefutably part of. I ponder what a solution to the housing crisis would look like and how easy this could be achieved with the necessary political will and sound housing policy.

For the past two years I’ve stared across the street at the Arnold Clark garage as it became a demolition site, and now a new block of 49 residential properties for social rent, built by Southside Housing Association. While a visual reminder of transformation, if done right they will help prove that we can reshape and rebuild without displacing existing residents and causing house prices and rents to soar. Here in Govanhill the only constant is change – but can an area evolve for the benefit of all?

Some areas get attention, others get ignored.

Sri Kannagi - a renter’s perspective

I’ve been renting here for four years. It’s a good price. I’ve been in the Southside for seven years, I lived in Westmoreland Street before. I was born in India and came here when I was 19.

I’ve noticed it’s really multicultural here; it’s a place where lots of people from different places come. There’s lots of short term flats, lots of coming and going. It’s more of a bachelor's place than a family place, there’s not that many kids.

There are so many affordable food places here doing good food for a good price. That really attracted me, the different varieties: Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian. Kurdish and Desi are my favourite. I like going to different places and bars, going to Rum Shack, going out for shawarma. It’s becoming more middle class, there used to not be coffee shops here, maybe just one, now there are lots and lots, and more trendy shops. But you always have a choice between good affordable food, and more expensive stuff.

It’s good that there are new flats being built, but there isn’t equality in the way the council spends resourcing. Some areas get attention, others get ignored. Everyone pays council taxes but some areas don’t get the same treatment.

People in the close speak to each other here. In other places people in the close don’t speak. Here it’s multicultural and that’s nice.

I know that gentrification has been happening for ages. In each city they have small areas that become trendy then people move there, then it goes somewhere else. It used to be Pakistani here, then more Roma, now there are more Roma on the other side, now it’s more mixed and multicultural.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing that people move around. When I moved here I didn’t know anything about European culture at all, but the more people in the area there are from different cultures, the more you learn.

As told to the author

Coffee is great, but community is better.

Susan Downs - a mid-market social housing renter’s perspective

I migrated from the West End to the Southside close to five years ago, so in a way I could be considered to be part of the gentrification process. Despite living in a mid-market rent housing association property, these higher rents also price local residents out of increasingly small social housing stocks.

Gentrification, while great for multiple property owners like landlords, and for niche shopping enclaves, is a double-edged sword for the community that is becoming gentrified. Pushing people further away from the areas they grew up in into areas with even less resources, and perhaps no real sense of community.

It has changed so much in the five years I have lived here, but it doesn’t seem like the education of the local community has evolved at the same rate. I have a dog and am quite chatty (or nosy) and have become friendly acquaintances with some older people who have lived in this area for generations. What they have all said is that it isn’t the same. To someone with my background (I studied a subject that is very specific to social communities) the big issue with gentrification, particularly in the Southside, is that the gentrification is happening at such a rapid rate it is almost bulldozing over the history of the area, which could be why the elder community seem disgruntled.

Personally, I love the mixture of cultures and ages in my area. What I don’t love is the inevitable rise of housing prices and people who take advantage of that for financial gain without due consideration of the social implications. Coffee is great, but community is better.

Govanhill is fluid and always has been.

James Gorman - a social housing tenant’s perspective

I’ve been renting through Southside Housing Association for seven years this April. There’s always positives and negatives but the thing about Govanhill is it’s fluid and always has been.

I was born here, it was different then in the early seventies. Govanhill back then, you wouldn’t call it gentrified. But I grew up in Toryglen.

We’re actually in ‘Strathbungo East’ here but anywhere from Cathcart road, running along Pollokshaws Road to Queen’s Park, then to Crosshill, we’ve always called that Govanhill.

This area used to be a Jewish area. That’s why the synagogue is here. They tried to turn it into flats and now there are new Jewish people in the area who want to turn it back into a synagogue. It shows you have different religions side by side.

I’m a proud Glaswegian, Scotsman and Southsider. I love Govanhill, it’s always had its own lifeblood. It’s easily the most multicultural area in Scotland and it has been for 50 years. The people are so proud of it. You get different people, different classes, everything.

Thirty years ago when I was bringing up my kids, we couldn’t get social housing here. Not a chance. It was private lets and slum landlords. The investment we’ve had in social housing has been massive.

Gentrification hasn’t made a massive difference to me. What has made a difference is the change to Victoria Road. I still don’t see gentrification, but it has changed. Shawlands used to be the place if you want to party, but now people come here. Victoria Road used to be jumping with pubs where older folk drank. The Pandora where Locavore now is – that was one of my favourites.

You always have ups and downs but I think it’s on the up. There have been problems in the area but I think it’s calmed down. It’s changing dynamics, everything mixes, I love that. There’s not a person or a community that doesn’t fit in.

As told to the author.