Enacting critical community development through anti-gentrification policy advocacy

Following Newman and Goetz’s call for ‘a critical turn in community development practice and research’ and Fursova’s call for ‘community development as a critical practice aimed at advancing the commons’, this paper argues for a critical community development praxis around gentrification that emphasizes anti-displacement policy. It is more important than ever to look beyond market-friendly strategies and the site of the neighbourhood to shape municipal policy in favour of the ‘right to stay put’. As city governments begin to take the loss of affordable housing in urban centers more seriously, community developers can use vital, localized knowledge to strengthen legislative outcomes. I use a case study of a faith-based community development conference circuit to highlight and analyse the limitations of market-based community development and the promising possibilities of anti-displacement policy advocacy.