“Un Puerto Rico sin puertorriqueños”: Land, Housing, and Displacement on the Island

By Bryan Álvarez Valentín

Puerto Rico has experienced economic instability, population decline, and the impact of natural disasters. In recent years, however, public debate has increasingly focused on the possibility of a “Puerto Rico sin puertorriqueños,” a phrase expressing the fear that local residents may no longer afford living on their own island. This concern is closely tied to the growing presence of wealthy investors in Puerto Rico’s housing market and the policies that encourage them to relocate. Although these policies were designed to attract capital and stimulate economic development, they have also contributed to rising housing prices, gentrification, and displacement. As a result, economic incentives and global investment trends are reshaping Puerto Rico’s housing market in ways that may threaten both housing security and the cultural continuity of its residents.

A key factor behind these changes is the set of tax incentives known as Acts 20 and 22, later consolidated into Act 60. In order to encourage relocation to the island, these laws offer significant tax exemptions to wealthy individuals and corporations. These exemptions could include low corporate taxes and exemptions from capital gains taxes. (Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, 2022). Since the early 2010s, thousands of investors have relocated to the island and purchased residential properties to establish legal residency and benefit from these incentives. However, some critics argue that these policies have unintentionally intensified housing inequality by allowing wealthy newcomers to outbid local residents in the real estate market (Rojas-Lebron, 2024). As investors purchase properties—particularly in desirable areas such as San Juan, Dorado, and Rincón—housing prices and rents have increased significantly. According to the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (2022), many of the properties purchased fall within price ranges traditionally sought by middle-class Puerto Rican families, making it increasingly difficult for locals to compete.

These trends have intensified gentrification and displacement across several communities. In some cases, wealthy investors purchase multiple buildings or entire blocks in urban neighborhoods, transforming areas that were historically accessible to local residents (Rojas-Lebron, 2024). At the same time, the expansion of short-term rental platforms has reduced the availability of long-term housing, as many properties are converted into vacation rentals that prioritize tourism profits over residential stability (Centro para una Nueva Economía, 2022). The effects are especially severe given Puerto Rico’s economic conditions: nearly half of renters already spend more than a third of their income on housing (PR No Se Vende, n.d.), and more than 40 percent of Puerto Ricans live below the poverty line (TIME, 2021). In this context, the growing influence of outside investors has raised concerns about inequality, displacement, and even what some describe as forms of economic colonialism, as land and resources increasingly shift toward external actors (YIP Institute, 2024). Without policies that protect affordable housing and local communities, many Puerto Rican families may continue to be displaced and the fear of a “Puerto Rico sin puertorriqueños” may continue to grow.

References

Alizadeh-Dolce, E. (n. d.). Puerto Rico’s Act 60: More Than Economics, a Human Rights Issue. ReVista. https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/puerto-ricos-act-60-more-than-economics-a-human-rights-issue/

Espada, M. (2023, December 12). Influencers, Developers, Crypto Currency Tycoons: How Puerto Ricans Are Fighting Back Against the Outsiders Using the Island as a Tax Haven.

TIME. https://time.com/5955629/puerto-rico-tax-haven-opposition/

Gutierrez, B. (2024). Debt, Displacement, Inequality, and Revitalization: The Case of Puerto Rico. En Institute For Youth In Policy. https://yipinstitute.org/capstone/debt-displacement-inequality-puerto-rico-revitalization

Ley 22 – PR no se vende. (n. d.). https://prnosevende.com/en/ley-22/
Santiago, R. (2024, July 30). The Impact of Short-Term Rentals in Puerto Rico: 2014-

2020. CNE – Centro Para una Nueva Economía – Center For A New Economy.
https://grupocne.org/2022/12/12/the-impact-of-short-term-rentals-in-puerto-rico-2014-2020/

Suárez, D. (n. d.). A Nightmare for Puerto Ricans to Find a Home, While Others
Accumulate Properties. Centro de Periodismo Investigativo.

¿Qué dijo el jurado?

Este ensayo se destaca por su argumento provocador, que nos invita a una reflexión profunda sobre la gentrificación en Puerto Rico. A pesar de su enfoque en un tema que despierta fuertes emociones, el autor logra preservar un tono neutral y asertivo que fomenta el desarrollo de una discusión mesurada pero persuasiva sobre la tensión entre el interés por el desarrollo económico y la necesidad del pueblo puertorriqueño de tener acceso a una vivienda digna. Mediante el uso detallado de evidencia, el autor logra convencer a la audiencia de que el desarrollo mal planificado del mercado de bienes raíces ha tenido un efecto negativo en los residentes de Puerto Rico.

Por su gran análisis, relevancia social y síntesis efectiva de información, el jurado otorga el segundo lugar al ensayo “Un Puerto Rico sin puertorriqueños”: Land, Housing, and Displacement on the Island de la autoría de Bryan Álvarez Valentín.

Jurado: Dra. Ana-Loreanne Colón, Dra. Naida García Crespo, Profa. Yasmarie Hernández González y Prof. Emmanuelle Soto Ríos

Este texto resultó ganador del segundo lugar en la categoría Ensayo del Cuarto Certamen Literario (2026) del Centro de Idiomas y Educación General de la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.