Urban decay/blight is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. It may feature deindustrialization, depopulation or changing population, economic restructuring, high local unemployment, fragmented families, political disenfranchisement, crime, and a desolate, inhospitable city landscape. Wikipedia Dictionary

The question comes up time and time again, what has made Gloucester City change from what it used to be? Longtime residents or those who come back to visit will say \”This is not the Gloucester City I remember growing up.\”

One reason this has occurred is a result of the housing problems that plaques the City. There are too many rentals to begin with, nearly 1900 properties. On East Thompson Ave, for an example, 50 percent of the homes between Lane and Harley Avenues are rentals. Some of which are duplexes and triplexes.

It is hard to get to know your neighbor if every few months someone new is moving into the home next door to you. Most renters are very nice people, but there are some who could care less about our city since they are only passing through. Thus they lack a connection to the community. They come and go like gypsies in the night.

The same with many of the landlords who own properties here, they live in another