How Airbnb hurts DC’s working families

A new report released Tuesday revealed the profound impact of Airbnb’s short-term rentals on the Washington, D.C. housing market. Using data gathered from independent sources, “Selling The District Short,” commissioned by D.C. Working Families, presents a clear pattern showing Airbnb’s listings are dominated by illegal commercial hosts who are manipulating the residential rental market by decreasing the supply of available long-term housing units. Valerie Ervin, Senior Advisor at DC Working Families, said that “At a time when D.C. residents are struggling to find affordable housing, the commercialization of housing units across the city is taking away homes and apartments that working families badly need." The Metro Washington Council last month passed a resolution endorsing the Short-Term Rental Regulation and Affordable Housing Protection Act of 2017, now under consideration by the DC City Council. Read more in The Washington Post and on dcsharebetter