Ashley Para-Lopez is a second year student here at Colorado State University. Like a lot of us here at CSU Ashley grew up in the surrounding area and is excited to further her career in social work. Growing up in Northern Colorado, Ashely is no stranger to the many thrills of Fort Collins, but also the many downfalls. Like many other members of the Latinx community here in Fort Collins and surrounding areas, Ashely sees a clear divide in the housing market as well as food industry in relation to the gentrification of the area.
Ashely defines Gentrification as “the arrival of wealthier people into a district which causes in the end renovations to better fit the taste of middle class people”. We see this renovation daily here in Fort Collins and it has become an issue.
We not only see this renovation within the housing market but we see it with infrastructures too. Places like the Union and Ginger and Baker are prime examples of gentrified spaces here in Fort Collins.
Places like Ginger and Baker and the Union are placed in a traditionally lower income area and have taken over spaces once thought to be a park that the homeless and lower income people who would go to the Fort Collins Rescue Mission Across the street.
Ashely is no stranger to seeing this affect her Latinx Community here in Fort Collins. Sadly according to Ashley “the overall culture of the area changes and pushes out the Latinx community and members of my community”. This is sadly all too true.
.
