Mexico City to introduce legislation addressing housing crisis, gentrification

By Fatma Zehra Solmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Mexico City announced a 14-point strategy to tackle the city’s housing crisis and rising gentrification, following a wave of major protests—some of which turned violent—earlier this month.

Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced on Thursday that officials plan to introduce legislation to control rental prices, ensure a fair balance between landlords' and tenants' rights and responsibilities, prevent displacement, and regulate short-term rental platforms, CNN reported.

Brugada stated on X: "We present a firm strategy to curb gentrification and defend the right to live with dignity in our neighborhoods and our community."

The city plans to establish an agency responsible for enforcing the new rent regulations and holding violators accountable.

Brugada emphasized that living in Mexico City must be a right for everyone, not a luxury for a select few.

“The issue of gentrification is one of the most important issues in the city today, but it is not new either. It is not only an issue for the city, but also for the entire world, and it means the displacement of thousands of families,” the mayor stated.

The announcement follows a July 4 protest, where residents rallied against gentrification and the soaring cost of living in Mexico City — trends that many attribute to an increasing number of foreigners arriving from the United States and Europe.

Although the protest was mostly peaceful and underscored frustration over growing inequality, some demonstrators vandalized shops in affluent areas and used anti-immigration rhetoric, which President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned as xenophobic.

In response, Frente Anti Gentrificacion Mx, one of the groups organizing the protest, rejected that view, saying the protest aimed to spotlight the struggles of those being priced out and to demand government action.

“We are not against migration... We are against violence as a government model,” spokesperson Yessica Morales told CNN.