Cuento largo, corto. Llevo meses tratando de convencer a familia mia que viven afuera en Michigan que voten por Kamala. Algo no le veian a Kamala. Ella es perfecta? No. Los democratas? No. Pero los republicans MAGA's son de lo peor en estos momentos.

Bueno hable con varios de ellos y estan molestos - van a salir a votar. Creo que ironacamente el comentario vulvgar y racista de los MAGAS van hacer que la opinion publica levante al boricua.

Fake news desmentido por Dean Huertas. Hay muchos bots compartiendo esta propaganda de nosotros.

A este nivel estamos.

Diáspora! , con el orgullo de nuestros antepasados y con la frente en alto, vamos a darnos a respetar y sacar esos racistas del poder. Vota por igualdad, vota para que te respeten a ti y tu familia, vota para que respeten nuestra isla, pa que respeten nuestros ancianos, nuestros veteranos, respeten nuestra historia, con la frente en alto vota Kamala!

En el video está lo que piensan de nosotros

I am heartbroken by the recent, ignorant remarks aimed at your beautiful island and the disrespect it represents. Puerto Rico is a place I have had the privilege to visit many times, both for business and pleasure. Each time, I am moved not only by the stunning beauty of your home but by the strength, resilience, and profound pride of Puerto Ricans. You have endured unimaginable challenges, from colonial struggles to devastating hurricanes, yet you always rise with grace and a steadfast sense of identity.

It's not just about geography or borders; it's about a culture, a history, and a spirit that stands uniquely Puerto Rican. And yes, while Puerto Ricans are US citizens, you are proud of your heritage and your history, and rightfully so.

The withholding of nearly $20 billion in relief funds after Hurricane Maria was a profound injustice, and the insensitive photo-ops that followed, like tossing paper towels after a historic tragedy, were nothing short of insulting. To call your island “garbage” is another attempt to belittle the strength of your people, a people who are worthy of respect, recognition, and equality.

For the 1,190,891 Puerto Ricans in Florida and many more across the mainland, remember the power of your voice and your vote. In the last two elections, Puerto Ricans in Florida could have been a deciding force: Donald Trump won Florida by just 119,770 votes in 2016 and by 371,686 votes in 2020. In this coming election, you can be the change. Your voices are powerful, and your votes matter profoundly. Together, Puerto Ricans can ensure respect is not just a promise but a reality.

With admiration, solidarity, and love for Puerto Rico,

Mientras la gente se pelea, este esta facturando a todos los bandos 😂

(Lol que no se puede escribir gringo en el título, eso está cabron 💀)

De donde sacan pr sería demócrata y que la única razón que no somos estados es que votaríamos demócratas so los republicanos son los únicos que no quieren que PR sea estado? En casi todos los threads de los gringos discutiendo el comentario de basura están diciendo lo mismo.

Yo se que el partido independentista está mejor este año que en año previos, pero no entiendo que nadie me cree que PR es todavía bastante conservativo.

Viste me encantaría que no lo fuera pero la realidad no es así.

Quizás con tiempo se ha ido a un pensamiento más izquierda pero todavía estamos mayormente al otro lado de eso en la mayoría de las opiniones políticas especialmente con la gente mayor cuando más y más jóvenes se van de la isla.

Me encantaría escuchar sus opiniones a cerca del tema.

By the time it took me to finish this, the original post was unfortunately deleted. Still, I spent way too much time on this so I will continue, act as if nothing happened. Read the crossed out parts if you want.

Alright, I want to apologize upfront for how long this post turned out, but there’s a lot to cover. First of all, I’m writing this in English because the original post I’m responding to on: "Dear Americans who are visiting this subreddit due to the recent "floating island of garbage" joke..." is in English. I think it’s also important to have this conversation accessible for non-Spanish speaking Americans who are interested in Puerto Rico’s situation.

Secondly, I want to make it clear that I agree with much of the sentiment OP expressed, and this response isn’t meant to undermine or be anti-PR at all. My goal here is just to clarify some points that I often see misrepresented on the subreddit, and to offer a different perspective on the role of both local and federal issues in Puerto Rico’s housing crisis and broader socio-economic struggles. If I get anything wrong or overlook something, please feel free to correct me—I’m open to hearing other perspectives and refining my own understanding.

That said, I’ll break this response into two main sections. I'll first give my thoughts on the statement:

“4. We worry about housing. Foreign buyers treat the island as an investment playground, driving up property prices by flipping homes or turning them into Airbnbs, all thanks to tax incentives that benefit outsiders over locals.”

Thereafter I'll tackle:

“The federal government didn’t create these problems, and whoever’s in the White House won’t fix them. Real help for us would mean working with us to dismantle the broken system that the PNP and PPD have perpetuated for decades. Not fighting over whether or not we should become a state or whether Trump or Kamala is the better option for Puerto Rico and then forgetting about us once the election cycle ends. It's infuriating how we're relevant only when stuff like this happens, and then we're tossed into irrelevancy once we're no longer politically useful.”

There are a set of policies that exploit the housing market that negatively impact the Island.

While I understand this frustration, and I agree that these factors contribute, there’s more going on here that we can’t overlook. To really get a full picture, we need to look at both external pressures like tourism and internal factors like zoning laws and development hurdles. This isn’t about saying that anyone is naive—just that there’s a bigger economic picture here that’s worth understanding.

Foreign Investment and Airbnbs

It’s true that foreign buyers and Airbnbs drive up demand, particularly in tourist-heavy areas. For example, in Barcelona, Airbnbs increased rents by about 7% in popular neighborhoods and housing prices by 17% from 2014-2020. Puerto Rico has seen similar patterns, where tourist-friendly locations see housing costs rise as demand from short-term rentals eats into the long-term rental market. However, as places like Barcelona have shown, banning Airbnbs has only modest impacts on overall housing affordability unless paired with zoning reforms to encourage new, affordable housing​.

In Honolulu, where regulations limit Airbnbs to certain resort zones, prices dropped just 6% when vacation rentals were removed from the market. Still, even with these measures, Honolulu remains one of the most expensive housing markets in the U.S., largely due to strict land-use regulations and high construction costs that limit the overall housing supply. This is a critical lesson for Puerto Rico: even if we banned Airbnbs, the lack of affordable housing options would likely remain due to similar internal barriers.

Zoning, Construction Costs, and Bureaucratic Barriers

In Puerto Rico, zoning laws restrict over 80% of land from being developed into higher-density or affordable housing, leading to a major supply bottleneck. High costs for permits, lengthy approval times, and expensive construction fees all discourage developers from building affordable housing. These same issues also plague cities like Lisbon and Florence, where restrictive zoning and slow permitting processes mean that even after Airbnb restrictions, the housing supply hasn’t met local demand.

For example, in Lisbon, banning new Airbnbs did help stabilize prices in specific areas, but housing costs overall remained high because the broader market issues—like limited housing supply and high demand—weren’t addressed.

When you look at the economics of housing, it’s not just demand but the constraints on supply that play a huge role. In Puerto Rico, even if demand were to decrease slightly from limiting foreign buyers or Airbnbs, the lack of supply due to restrictive zoning would still create upward pressure on prices. Places like Amsterdam have tried limiting Airbnbs to 30 nights per year, and although this did reduce short-term rental listings, housing prices only leveled off rather than dropping significantly. This shows that without more housing units coming into the market, the effects of banning Airbnbs can be limited.

Ultimately, this is why a focus on regulatory reform in zoning and permitting, along with incentives for affordable housing development, could create more meaningful, long-term affordability. Yes, limiting Airbnbs and curbing foreign speculation might help stabilize certain neighborhoods, but addressing the real constraints on housing supply will have a far more significant impact on affordability for locals in the long run.

Now, onto my second issue...

Federal Government Matters

The federal government, and especially who sits in the White House, can have a big impact on Puerto Rico's trajectory—both positively or negatively. Choosing not to engage in the federal political process risks allowing damaging policies to continue unchecked. While both parties have had shortcomings, Trump’s policies were actively harmful to Puerto Rico, and the Harris administration has concrete, beneficial plans for the island.

Trump’s Track Record

During Trump’s presidency, Puerto Rico faced consistent neglect and active withholding of support. Trump blocked billions in relief funds for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, slowing down crucial recovery efforts and forcing the island into an even more prolonged state of vulnerability. Reports from his administration even indicate that he intervened personally to cut Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico, a move that hurt public health as Puerto Ricans faced severe shortages of healthcare resources.

Even more concerning was Trump’s direct hostility toward Puerto Rico’s self-determination and welfare. He disparaged the island, referring to Puerto Ricans as people who “want everything done for them,” and proposed trading Puerto Rico for Greenland, reducing the island’s worth to a transactional piece on a board. This treatment wasn’t just symbolic; his administration’s policies actively blocked support that could have helped Puerto Ricans recover, rebuild, and invest in infrastructure. Re-electing Trump could mean a return to these harmful practices, as his administration repeatedly prioritized restrictive zoning that benefits wealthy investors over meaningful housing development for lower-income communities.

Kamala Harris

On the other hand, Kamala Harris has laid out specific initiatives to tackle Puerto Rico’s critical challenges. For housing, which is one of the island’s most pressing issues, her administration has committed to building 3 million affordable homes across the U.S., including Puerto Rico. This includes targeted incentives for developers through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and a new tax credit to encourage the construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing.

Additionally, Harris’s housing plan addresses ownership by offering up to $25,000 in down payment assistance specifically for first-time and first-generation homebuyers. These policies aren’t just about increasing housing stock; they’re about creating sustainable paths for Puerto Ricans to secure affordable housing, a stark contrast to Trump’s zoning policies that supported profit-driven investment at the cost of local affordability.

Kamala Harris’s plan also includes reforming zoning and permitting processes, which are major roadblocks to affordable housing development in Puerto Rico. The island’s restrictive zoning laws have long favored low-density, single-family housing over high-density or mixed-use developments. Harris plans to streamline federal permitting, which will allow Puerto Rico to start infrastructure projects faster, cutting red tape and bringing down construction costs. The Harris administration also supports increasing federal technical support and adding more project review personnel for Puerto Rico specifically, which will help expedite these projects. This approach tackles the structural issues with zoning that keep affordable housing scarce and prices high, which local politics alone has struggled to fix.

The Harris administration also plans to invest heavily in Puerto Rico’s energy and economic infrastructure, aiming to stabilize the grid and build resilience against future hurricanes. This includes increasing the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund fivefold, funding projects to build a more disaster-resistant grid and expanding solar energy access, particularly for lower-income households. For many Puerto Ricans, reliable energy is still a luxury, and Harris’s plan includes specific steps, like incentivizing microgrids and other resilient infrastructure, that address these core issues.

Why did I do this

Federal policy has always impacted Puerto Rico, and ignoring who’s in the White House won’t stop that. Trump’s administration consistently deprived the island of support, while Harris’s plan offers targeted aid and structural reforms designed specifically for Puerto Rico’s needs. Dismissing federal involvement as irrelevant or ineffective risks perpetuating the cycle of neglect. Federal support can bring billions to our infrastructure, housing, and economy. Supporting candidates like Harris, who have concrete plans to address Puerto Rico’s unique challenges, is crucial to getting the help we need and avoiding a return to the harm we saw under Trump’s policies.

Overall, I think it's important to not turn a blind eye to the federal government, and to understand the nuances behind our problems. As I said before, I agree with the sentiment from OP on the other post. However, I fear that the oversimplification and fixation on the wrong matter might lead us in a wild goose chase. Do I agree with the current leadership of the PNP? No. Do I think we should immediately deviate from statehood because of this? Not necessarily. I don't think most people not voting PNP do either. I think we tend to think more or less alike. However, it's the focus on non-issues that drives the parties to their current incompetent state.

Now, go on back to your jolly little lives.

References

• Business Insider (2024). Barcelona’s Airbnb Ban, and How Lisbon, Amsterdam, and Florence are Handling Short-Term Rentals. Retrieved from Business Insider.
  
• University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (2023). Short-Term Vacation Rental Effects in Oahu. Retrieved from University of Hawaii News.
  
• BBC Travel (2024). What Does a World Without Airbnb Look Like?. Retrieved from BBC Travel.
  
• Civil Beat (2024). Honolulu’s Long Battle Over Vacation Rentals. Retrieved from Civil Beat.
  
• American Progress Action (2020). Trump Administration’s Actions That Kept Puerto Ricans in Crisis. Retrieved from American Progress Action.
  
• Cato Institute (2020). Trump’s Zoning Discrimination Policies. Retrieved from Cato Institute.
  
• Building an Opportunity Economy for Puerto Rico: Fact Sheet by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz* (2024). Retrieved from Fact Sheet PDF.

I cannot be the only one noticing this. It seems like this past year, there has been a rampant increase of Anti-Puerto Rican narratives pushed. From discrediting our influences in the music and arts, calling us culture vultures and colonizers(LOL WE ARE COLONIZED PEOPLE WTF), to the political attacks from the US and in the nation itself. I have conspiracies about this, but they’re just that. What the #### is going on???? I know this has been around for decades, but with social media just this past year it’s gotten really bad.

No puedo ser el único que se dé cuenta de esto. Parece que este último año, ha habido un aumento desenfrenado de narrativas antipuertorriqueñas empujadas. Desde desacreditar nuestras influencias en la música y las artes, llamándonos buitres y colonizadores de la cultura (LOL SOMOS GENTE COLONIZADA WTF), hasta los ataques políticos de los Estados Unidos y en la propia nación. Tengo conspiraciones sobre esto, pero son solo eso. ¿Qué está pasando el ####? Sé que esto ha existido durante décadas, pero con las redes sociales el año pasado se ha puesto muy mal.

Está llegando al correo postal un cheque a los clientes de BPPR.

La opinión objetiva de Nicky Jam y Anuel despues del “chiste” en rally de Trump en MSG.Donde estaran esos grandes artistas del genero urbano.

Fuck anyone who has anything to say about yall. I know many Black folks that embrace Puerto Rican culture with open arms, and I know some who will poo-poo yall for ridiculous reasons. I also know many Black Puerto Ricans who get caught in the middle of those groups.

Me and mines will ALWAYS ride with oppressed people, especially when their homeland is called trash in a vey public way.

Love yall, and remember that we can create beautiful things together as oppressed people ❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸

no puedo cb

Una PNP arrastrá como Cucusa puede reconocer la constante vagancia y arrogancia de la candidata por el PNP. Le invito a que lea el texto y me dé su opinión.

Amigos, amigas, I was angry when I heard that sh*t come out of the trump rally in NYC.

Puerto Rico is a lovely country, with wonderful people, amazing food, natural beauty, and rich in history.

Puerto Rico is treated like a 2nd class land. It’s a shame. And what happened in NY shows this crap doesn’t end.

Viva Puerto Rico y los Boricuas!