Longtime Vermonter here, and someone who was involved in the housing business. Builders have always built for the top of the market because it’s easier to make a profit. Those who built for entry-level properties generally had a larger parcel of land they could subdivide and build multiple units.

But as much as we’d like to see more affordable housing, the more expensive homes do have the function of allowing people to move out of their starter homes into something that better fits their needs. I’m an example of this. When I bought my first home, I couldn’t afford to live in the area I wanted. But after a few years, I saved some bucks and developed more equity , and was able to sell my little starter home to someone who was just thrilled, and moved to a larger home in my preferred area.

This cycle worked for many years, at least in Northern VT. It’s been disrupted lately by more nonVermonters moving in, more corporate investors, and homes converted into short term rentals.

Really nice job thinking and articulating this response. I think you’re right that Airbnb is a significant part of our housing problem.

One nit to pick: a portion of short terms rentals are not made to be long term housing. This is because many short term rentals are located deliberately in tourist destinations (you referred to the location issue) and the format of this housing is made to serve visitors (think tiny kitchens in ski chalets or distance from markets, work opportunities, etc.). It is difficult to say how many of these short term rentals could actually be used for long term housing. I would speculate many STRs ARE actually taking away housing from locals, but your numbers will be lower when taking this into account.

I favor the use of zoning to designate some areas or buildings as STR-appropriate in places that are unlikely to serve locals but otherwise making STRs illegal everywhere else. I don’t know how much of our housing crises this would solve but then we would truly know how much housing Vermont lacks.

I mean I employ 4 people to help run my STR's, to say nothing of the litany of restaurants and shops that operate entirely on the largesse of tourists money.

Yuck.

I wonder if Stegner has the balls to walk down Main Street in Newport in the daytime.

dO YoUr OwN rESeARcH

It had to do with the disastrous construction project that destroyed the town for years

The owner is a nutcase, but Brandon was a disaster for a long time due to the construction and no one was happy about it. Some of the Selectboard members were real pieces of shit about it too. The end result wasn't worth it and the only reason they forced it through was because Vermont was forcing Brandon to pay back the millions they gave the town for upgrades. And I say the term "upgrades" very loosely.

It was very poorly planned and executed and the town had no idea what it was getting into. It didn't effect just the center of town either. Otherwise pieceful back dirt roads had hundreds of cars and tractor trailers barreling down them for years to avoid the center of town. Back dirt roads with very little traffic like Richmond Rd and Town Farm Rd basically became state highways and were some of the most dangerous roads to drive on at the time.

"The market will adapt" is what supposedly high minded people say when their proposed ideas will not affect them (or benefit them) and they have no idea how to account for those who will be negatively impacted.

How will the market adapt? How long will it take? What do we do with those who cannot adapt in time before they go bankrupt? Etc etc.

Vermont is not Europe.

Yes. A simple Google search will show you studies that support both positions.

A simple Google search is easy enough to do.

There are studies to support both positions. My anecdotal experience indicates it does provide a lot of jobs, and that local businesses and artisans are very against Airbnb restrictions since they provide a significant portion of their revenue.

Also how many "wfh yuppies" actually moved here. My anctedoctal experience is a lot of them left after the lockdowns subsided a bit.

Also who is a WFH yuppie. I work from home for a VT based company. I used to commute into the office but gave up when it became a sickfest. Most of my direct coworkers left the state due to housing and affordability. Vt isn't as desirable to everyone as this sub makes it out to be sometimes.

I do not own or operate an Airbnb. I do derive some of my income from them.

Billy Neal Beaufort is an objective, well respect--oh shit....

I’d be curious as to how the “what do you do with the income?”

Was it an open response or was it multiple choice?

If it’s multiple choice, then that automatically frames the answers, if this survey was sent out by Airbnb or a short term rental advocacy group, of course they will frame the multiple choice answers so that it looks like STR owners are “using the money to get by”

Do you own an air bnb or two? Just in the interest of transparency

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I think the percents are a little dishonest.

7% own 50% of 2.5%. So that 7% represents about 1.25% of housing stock. I think you will find similar numbers with long term rentals and business properties.

#4 is surprising to me. Where have you read that AirBnBs provide a lot of jobs?

You’ll be judged more on your choice of snow tire than your sexual orientation.

>Almost every working class person who I have spoken to on the issue is very afraid of Airbnbs disappearing because of the direct and second and third order effects that economic activity generates. I also find it very curious that the anti-Airbnb crowd has absolutely no proposed ideas for how to replace that economic activity.

Look up studies done on banning airbnb in Europe. It turns out that airbnb users contrubute significantly less to the economy than actual hotel people

That's a great idea actually.

Airbnbs provide a lot of jobs? Lol

Yeah just seize everyone’s second homes and force them to rent to people that can’t afford them…it’ll fix everything..

OP already pointed out that “out of state WFH yuppies” are not the problem. They add to the price pressure a bit, but they also pay taxes and live in our communities. They actually live here too