Gentrification's Grip In Cameron County And The Role of SpaceX

SpaceX's presence is a double-edged sword for Cameron County.

https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/gentrifications-grip-in-cameron-county



Cameron County, particularly the city of Brownsville, has experienced a wave of gentrification closely linked to the presence of SpaceX's launch site in Boca Chica. While SpaceX projects have brought outsider attention and investment to the area, the consequences of gentrification have been felt keenly by Brownsville residents, particularly those from the Latino community in South Texas.

Gentrification has led to a surge in housing prices, making it increasingly difficult for long-time residents to afford their homes. For some Cameron County residents, their home appraisal values have increased by as much as 100% compared to last year leading to panic around property tax payments and the feasibility of residents remaining in their neighborhoods in the long term. Coupled with high costs around housing, signs of gentrification are impossible to ignore in Brownsville's historic neighborhoods. Bizarre and culturally irrelevant murals perfectly placed next to deserted building fronts make for an eerie foreshadowing of what Brownsville could look like without equitable access to housing and small business ownership initiatives.