On Wednesday, the Mexico City administration unveiled a preliminary strategy to tackle gentrification. This comes a week after a significant protest against the escalating housing prices, which many attribute to mass tourism and the influx of foreigners, often termed “digital nomads,” temporarily residing in the city.
Mayor Clara Brugada announced that the plan would involve regulations to prevent landlords from raising rents beyond the rate of inflation. Additionally, authorities will provide a list of rental proposals considered “reasonable.”
Brugada mentioned that her administration intends to engage Mexico City residents in discussions about the plan. The goal is to develop legislation that incorporates measures promoting affordable housing.
The protest in early July was fueled by government failures and active promotion to attract digital nomads who work remotely often for foreign companies from Mexico City, according to experts.
Hundreds of people marched in neighborhoods popular with tourists, but the demonstration turned violent when a small number of people began smashing storefronts and harassing foreigners.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that the protest was marked by xenophobia.
“The xenophobic displays seen at that protest have to be condemned. No one should be able to say ‘any nationality get out of our country’ even over a legitimate problem like gentrification,” Sheinbaum said back then.
Many Mexicans have complained about being priced out of their neighborhoods — in part because of a move made by Sheinbaum in 2022, when she was the Mexico City mayor and signed an agreement with Airbnb and UNESCO to boost tourism and attract digital nomads despite concern over the impact short-term rentals could have.
During the protest, some people marched with signs reading “Gringo: Stop stealing our home” and “Housing regulations now!”
Some anti-gentrification groups have called for a new protest this weekend.
