Coleman, in regards to the Third Ward, expressed his opposition to gentrification and a desire to keep the original residents in the neighborhood. Coleman had some control over the Midtown Tax Increment Financing District, which bought land in the Third Ward and enacted deeds restricting what may be done with the land, so that the land could indefinitely be used to house low income residents.Buntin, John. "Land Rush." Governing. March 2006. Retrieved on July 3, 2011. In 2009, Coleman said "We learned a lot from the debacle in the Fourth Ward. So it would be stupid not to respond to the negative byproducts of rapid development. We want to find people who will make this community better by becoming part of its fabric, not by changing its fabric."Axtman, Kris. "After years in the suburbs, many blacks return to city life." The Christian Science Monitor. April 29, 2004. Retrieved on May 1, 2009. In regards to the Fourth Ward in 2009, Coleman said that it cannot recapture the sense of community that it used to have. Coleman added "the residents got pushed to the suburbs, and the businesses got wiped away."Feldman, Claudia. "A road called Almeda." Houston Chronicle. October 29, 2009. Retrieved on November 1, 2009.
