Gentrification and the Health of Black Older Adults: Quantifying the Role of Social Cohesion

Most older adults (65+) desire to age in place and, if needed, wish to receive services in their homes and communities to forego a move to residential long-term care. Neighborhood stability and familiarity are critical components of successful aging in place, but the process of gentrification and associated neighborhood disruption may make aging in place challenging. The changes brought by gentrification disproportionately affect Black and older adult residents and may adversely influence the health and well-being of community members through cumulative stress. There is some evidence that social cohesion may buffer the negative health implications of gentrification, but this relationship has not been explicitly studied in the context of Black older adults to date.