The Labor Party (PT) in the Congress of Oaxaca presented an initiative that seeks to set limits on rent increases for properties, among other measures, to prevent and regulate gentrification in the state.
The initiative explains that gentrification is understood as “the expulsion of practical people and knowledge from a specific territory through the reinvestment of public and/or private capital and the incorporation of a population with greater economic capital.”
In Oaxaca, according to the proposal of local legislator Noé Doroteo Castillejos, it has been a growing concern in recent years that particularly affects the historic neighborhoods that define the cultural and architectural identity of the city. As tourism in the region has grown, he notes, there has been an increase in housing prices and a significant transformation in the urban structure of areas such as the Historic Center, Xochimilco and Jalatlaco.
Oaxaca seeks to curb gentrification with a cap on rent increases for housing and lodging. English:Photo: Edwin Hernández/EL UNIVERSAL
Oaxaca seeks to curb gentrification by capping rent increases for housing and lodging. Photo: Edwin Hernández/EL UNIVERSAL
The initiative establishes that limits are set on rent increases to protect existing tenants from sudden or excessive price increases, avoiding the displacement of residents and the alteration of local cultural identity.
It also requires that a percentage of new housing units be affordable for people with low incomes, gives tenants the right to renew their rental contracts to avoid arbitrary displacement, and implements measures that prevent evictions without justified cause.
According to the proposal, the Secretariat of Welfare, Tequio and Inclusion will be responsible for supervising and applying these measures, in collaboration with local offices for citizen attention and consumer protection.
Measures are also established for the regulation of land use. For example, residential protection zones are designated where commercial or tourist developments are prohibited in order to preserve the residential character of the neighbourhoods, the conversion of properties into commercial or hospitality establishments is limited, avoiding homogenisation and the loss of cultural identity, and density standards are established to avoid infrastructure overload and the loss of the original character of the neighbourhoods.
Noé Doroteo’s proposal seeks to regulate the issuance of licenses for short-term tourist rentals, to reduce pressure on the local real estate market and protect residents, and limits the number of licenses granted in areas of high tourist demand to avoid the displacement of permanent residents and protect cultural identity.
This initiative also regulates digital platforms that offer accommodation services. It seeks to create a registry of hosts of accommodation platforms, who must register and obtain a specific license or permit to operate, with a series of requirements.
And it prevents the unjustified eviction of residents and guarantees adequate housing alternatives in case of relocation.
Source: eluniversal
