Name
Geodemographics and Gentrification: The Role of Spatial Sorting in Rental Housing Financialization
Date & Time
Friday, May 23, 2025, 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Description
This paper explores the role of geodemographic classifications in the financialization of rental housing. Landlords, property developers, and real estate investors increasingly utilize segmentation tools to assess neighborhood desirability and inform property acquisitions. These tools provide insights into socioeconomic indicators such as income, age, and ethnicity, allowing financialized landlords to identify what are considered “underperforming” properties in gentrifying areas. In jurisdictions with weak tenant protections, landlords leverage geodemographic data to implement value-enhancement strategies, displacing and replacing lower-income, racialized tenants with higher-income earners. Drawing on PRIZM property profile reports and a case study of Hazelview Investments, this paper argues that geodemographic segmentation tools facilitate targeted acquisition strategies in Ontario’s rental market. By critically examining the use of PRIZM within the Geowarehouse database, this study contributes to literature on rental housing financialization and calls for further research on the intersection of geodemographic clustering and tenant displacement.
Location Name
Nicol (NI) 3020
Session Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract ID
183
Speaker Name
Andrew Crosby
Speaker Organization
Carleton University
Session Name
CS149 Geographies of Housing