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Airbnb’s unchecked growth is depleting our affordable housing stock and driving up rent, while threatening good-paying middle class union hotel jobs in New York

Airbnb’s unchecked growth is depleting our affordable housing stock and driving up rent, while threatening good-paying middle class union hotel jobs in New York City and around the country," Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council, said in a statement. "This bill will go a long way toward better protecting tens of thousands of affordable housing units our members and their families rely on to remain in the neighborhoods they call home, and preserving the quality jobs and quality of life in our communities our members deserve. (Posted not from the weak Gothamist article but from Crain's) You have to love the hotel lobby, coming out in protection of 'communities' and affordability.

crdoconnor 10y ago
It's not like AirBnb is advocating for affordable housing either.
- DorintheFlora 10y ago
  Not only that, but I think there is reason to believe that AirBnB further stresses the housing market and adds additional fuel to the existing divide between the Haves and Have Nots by putting more rent monies into the hands of the Haves and creating more scarcity of housing for those looking for a long-term rental, not an alternative to a hotel.
  - mancerayder 10y ago
    They are, and I'm not suggesting otherwise. However, that the Hotel Lobby makes a statement about affordability is a little much, it has such a rhetorical, trendy ring to it (these days a speech has to use the words community, affordable housing, 'your homes', etc.) Out of a housing stock of about 2.2M or so units, AirBNB takes something like 30K off the market, apparently, in this particular instance (short term rentals). People will always skirt the system, though. It's unclear what impact this will have.
    - DorintheFlora 10y ago
      I am a bit fed up with hearing this kind of thing. We are all human beings. If you are rich, you get accused of being in it for the money. If you are poor, you are accused of being in it for the money. If you have a vested interest, you are accused of bias. If you have no vested interest, you are told go away and STFU. Poor people do not have the time, energy and money to advocate for changes that would potentially free up a MERE 30k rental units. They are too busy trying to survive. People with money are generally too busy trying to get richer or keep what they have to put time into trying to make the world an actually better place. Who is allowed to say "This is bad for affordable housing" and be taken seriously? It seems like there is no one on the planet who is allowed to advocate for affordable housing. We are all guilty of something. Meanwhile, affordable housing simply is not happening.
      - mancerayder 10y ago
        Affordable housing is tough in a market where only 1M apartments are market rate -- and don't misread me as saying that the other 1M shouldn't be stabilized, I'm just pointing out the elastic part of the housing market -- in one of the most dynamic cities financially and culturally in the world. NYC is half the geographical size of London, has 500K more residents within it in 2010 than 2000, and has a strong economy right now. Stronger than places like the rust belt. It has finance, media and tech, it has international allure. I'm not actually advocating for or against affordable housing, but I do want to say that it is incredibly not surprising that with such a small supply of land and housing, that things aren't affordable when so many people want to be here. There are lots of hot cities in the world where things aren't affordable. And when people say NYC isn't affordable, it's misleading: what's not affordable are the desirable neighborhoods. Across the river in places like Jersey City, within NYC south Bronx, Staten Island, many parts of Queens, while increasing in demand are also relatively affordable. If people to live in an area that becomes very hot and popular (eg. Williamsburg), you only manage to live there if you're lucky, bought before things got expensive, or relatively affluent.
        DorintheFlora 10y ago

crdoconnor 10y ago

It's not like AirBnb is advocating for affordable housing either.

DorintheFlora 10y ago
Not only that, but I think there is reason to believe that AirBnB further stresses the housing market and adds additional fuel to the existing divide between the Haves and Have Nots by putting more rent monies into the hands of the Haves and creating more scarcity of housing for those looking for a long-term rental, not an alternative to a hotel.
- mancerayder 10y ago
  They are, and I'm not suggesting otherwise. However, that the Hotel Lobby makes a statement about affordability is a little much, it has such a rhetorical, trendy ring to it (these days a speech has to use the words community, affordable housing, 'your homes', etc.) Out of a housing stock of about 2.2M or so units, AirBNB takes something like 30K off the market, apparently, in this particular instance (short term rentals). People will always skirt the system, though. It's unclear what impact this will have.
  - DorintheFlora 10y ago
    I am a bit fed up with hearing this kind of thing. We are all human beings. If you are rich, you get accused of being in it for the money. If you are poor, you are accused of being in it for the money. If you have a vested interest, you are accused of bias. If you have no vested interest, you are told go away and STFU. Poor people do not have the time, energy and money to advocate for changes that would potentially free up a MERE 30k rental units. They are too busy trying to survive. People with money are generally too busy trying to get richer or keep what they have to put time into trying to make the world an actually better place. Who is allowed to say "This is bad for affordable housing" and be taken seriously? It seems like there is no one on the planet who is allowed to advocate for affordable housing. We are all guilty of something. Meanwhile, affordable housing simply is not happening.
    - mancerayder 10y ago
      Affordable housing is tough in a market where only 1M apartments are market rate -- and don't misread me as saying that the other 1M shouldn't be stabilized, I'm just pointing out the elastic part of the housing market -- in one of the most dynamic cities financially and culturally in the world. NYC is half the geographical size of London, has 500K more residents within it in 2010 than 2000, and has a strong economy right now. Stronger than places like the rust belt. It has finance, media and tech, it has international allure. I'm not actually advocating for or against affordable housing, but I do want to say that it is incredibly not surprising that with such a small supply of land and housing, that things aren't affordable when so many people want to be here. There are lots of hot cities in the world where things aren't affordable. And when people say NYC isn't affordable, it's misleading: what's not affordable are the desirable neighborhoods. Across the river in places like Jersey City, within NYC south Bronx, Staten Island, many parts of Queens, while increasing in demand are also relatively affordable. If people to live in an area that becomes very hot and popular (eg. Williamsburg), you only manage to live there if you're lucky, bought before things got expensive, or relatively affluent.
      - DorintheFlora 10y ago