I think when you live somewhere and are actually contributing to it in a positive way, then you should be welcome. I really like AirBnb a lot but also see how it's negatively affecting communities. It's hard to find a balance. Thanks for the interesting read!
Lack of affordable housing for locals is a problem in so many places, exacerbated by Airbnb. In the college town near where we live, officials are trying to pass ordinances limiting short-term rentals so that the inventory of housing isn’t so small. When we were living in Hobart, Tasmania, for a few months, we tried and failed to rent not using Airbnb. Australia has a serious housing shortage, and our landlords had moved there from Taiwan and owned several properties in Hobart. I definitely sensed some resentment against people like them.
Thanks for addressing that issue, Paul and Stephanie. Right after the administration in US changed and the gloves came off even more than before with immigration issues, there was pushback even in small town PM. A German friend, long in MX, fluent in Spanish, lives in the jungle and helps Maya folks harvest honey and market it for them, plus is an excellent photographer, rode into town early one morning, and a guy at the dock told him, "Gringo go home." (he's German). He spoke back to him in Spanish, asked him why he was upset and they had a worthwhile conversation. Things seem to have settle a bit, but we're in a small space. i was worried for expats when I saw the TV footage. I'm going to DM you. Take care.
Thanks, Paul! We feel the same way. The problem of high property values in desirable areas is a worldwide phenomenon and leads to the same problems you describe of lower income workers not being able to afford to live where they work. This perfectly describes our own Ann Arbor, Michigan. I haven’t heard anyone come up with a solution.
Sadly true, people have been priced out of their neighborhoods the world over and, realistically, it's merely another symptom of the capitalist systems we all exist in.
Thank you for clarifying what I've suspected. Even here, in Puerto Vallarta, I've been asked how bad the Mexico City protests were and how worried do we need to be. Like you, I'm not seeing a huge difference. Mexicans are just as nice as always, and they especially appreciate those of us who make an attempt to be respectful. We in PV have the same issues with wealthy Mexicans (usually not gringos) who are pricing the poorer Mexicans out of their old neighborhoods. Gentrification is a *class* issue, not an *immigration* issue. Most of those AirBnb owners are Mexicans.
Precisely Julie. I think the majority of people know this too, but your smart, grounded perspective would not make headlines... And social media is like tabloids on coke. 😆 They're fed by sensationalism and if enough people buy into the age-old, headline-worthy "hate the newcomer" rhetoric, we get what CDMX is experiencing right now 🤔
Interesting piece. Canadians too like American visitors. But at the moment America is despised and viewed as a threat. Trump is not making the world a better place and he has treated Canada and Mexico particularly poorly. This is going to reverberate. And may change things forever. And this is truly heartbreakingly sad.
I think when you live somewhere and are actually contributing to it in a positive way, then you should be welcome. I really like AirBnb a lot but also see how it's negatively affecting communities. It's hard to find a balance. Thanks for the interesting read!
Lack of affordable housing for locals is a problem in so many places, exacerbated by Airbnb. In the college town near where we live, officials are trying to pass ordinances limiting short-term rentals so that the inventory of housing isn’t so small. When we were living in Hobart, Tasmania, for a few months, we tried and failed to rent not using Airbnb. Australia has a serious housing shortage, and our landlords had moved there from Taiwan and owned several properties in Hobart. I definitely sensed some resentment against people like them.
Thanks for addressing that issue, Paul and Stephanie. Right after the administration in US changed and the gloves came off even more than before with immigration issues, there was pushback even in small town PM. A German friend, long in MX, fluent in Spanish, lives in the jungle and helps Maya folks harvest honey and market it for them, plus is an excellent photographer, rode into town early one morning, and a guy at the dock told him, "Gringo go home." (he's German). He spoke back to him in Spanish, asked him why he was upset and they had a worthwhile conversation. Things seem to have settle a bit, but we're in a small space. i was worried for expats when I saw the TV footage. I'm going to DM you. Take care.
Thanks, Paul! We feel the same way. The problem of high property values in desirable areas is a worldwide phenomenon and leads to the same problems you describe of lower income workers not being able to afford to live where they work. This perfectly describes our own Ann Arbor, Michigan. I haven’t heard anyone come up with a solution.
Sadly true, people have been priced out of their neighborhoods the world over and, realistically, it's merely another symptom of the capitalist systems we all exist in.
Thank you for clarifying what I've suspected. Even here, in Puerto Vallarta, I've been asked how bad the Mexico City protests were and how worried do we need to be. Like you, I'm not seeing a huge difference. Mexicans are just as nice as always, and they especially appreciate those of us who make an attempt to be respectful. We in PV have the same issues with wealthy Mexicans (usually not gringos) who are pricing the poorer Mexicans out of their old neighborhoods. Gentrification is a *class* issue, not an *immigration* issue. Most of those AirBnb owners are Mexicans.
Precisely Julie. I think the majority of people know this too, but your smart, grounded perspective would not make headlines... And social media is like tabloids on coke. 😆 They're fed by sensationalism and if enough people buy into the age-old, headline-worthy "hate the newcomer" rhetoric, we get what CDMX is experiencing right now 🤔
Exactly. Thank you!
Interesting piece. Canadians too like American visitors. But at the moment America is despised and viewed as a threat. Trump is not making the world a better place and he has treated Canada and Mexico particularly poorly. This is going to reverberate. And may change things forever. And this is truly heartbreakingly sad.
Yes it is.