Downward Mobility

Above is a house in Morrilton, AR that has fallen into disrepair (there are many such houses in this area).  It was once a nice house in an affluent neighborhood.  My conjecture is that this is a sign of downward mobility (moving from a higher social class to a lower one).  Perhaps these homes were owned by the “well-to-do” and those people lost their wealth (thanks to recessions and depressions) but retained their homes.  The houses in this neighborhood were once rather nice, with manicured lawns and lovely exteriors.  Now the grass has grown up around some of them, there are rusty and sagging roofs, and peeling paint.  People of lower classes typically don’t have the time, money, or energy to spend on their homes, so they simply don’t look as “nice” as they could”  Most working class people spend most of their time and energy working and most of their money on necessities.  Cosmetic home repairs just doesn’t seem as important as placing food on the table or paying the electric bill.