Portland renters know our city is experiencing an affordability crisis. We need multiple solutions, but one of the easiest fixes is to curtail Airbnbs by voting “yes” on Question E on the city ballot.
Despite loud arguments that this might hurt Portland by eliminating an income source for landlords, the economic facts of the situation are clear. A University of Southern California study finds that Airbnb is likely responsible for one-fifth of the nation’s average annual rent increases.
The Economic Policy Institute states that the extra Airbnb income for a small number of property owners is outweighed by the resulting damage to tenants. Furthermore, according to the EPI, Airbnbs do not significantly boost tourism, and cities enjoy more reliable tax revenue when visitors stay in hotels.
Owners of Airbnbs can still make a healthy buck in the traditional rental market without eliminating much-needed housing stock and driving up costs. Approving Question E is a no-brainer.
Tom Ryan
Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.