I live in a tourist town. Half the stores and restaurants shut down in the off season because of those vacation homes being empty. Year round residents will stabilize things.

In Burlington those are Democrats now.

And ski resort workers need housing too.

You'd be awfully surprised just how far some people commute in this state.

Ding ding.

Liberate.

20% 2nd homes includes seasonal camps, deer camps, and off the road system 4 season camps. Actual 4 season homes that are useable (ie on the road system, insulated, plowed, yadda, yadda) is a much lower percentage.

The real problem is more psychological, people want the idyllic Vermont of open land single housing. In reality we need a paradigm shift to communal open spaces and close co habitation, That means condos, apartments, and developments where grass is in short supply but woods are preserved.

I started my comment to you with what I think is a great example that's super relevant to the moment, though not the topic at hand. If you're asking about housing specifically, I would like to see the government actually do things directly to fix housing. Just ban airbnb for anything not owner-occupied. Offer social housing directly. I'd love to see proposals on ways to build it, eminent domain strategic STRs and vacation homes, whatever else policy dorks dream up. I'd like to see a conversation switch to actually directly addressing the problem instead of everything being ticky tacky tax here and disicinenvize there.

I knew the question and read your very very long post about it too.

The NEK is it’s own climate. :)

What does thinking bigger mean to you?

I don’t think that’s true. I run a small non-profit and we have hundreds of volunteers! Also the folks I see that don’t seem to care much for neighbors are the Air B and B users, so also the owners by extension. I know plenty of second homeowners that really do care for the neighbors and community, but if you don’t live here you’re not really invested in making sure the schools are good and the children are fed.

I shouldn’t generalize too much and I know that I have here. Y’know, it’s Reddit.

If you didn't even know the question they were trying to answer, how can you disagree with my critique that the way they framed the answer was weird. That's like a crucially important piece of context.

Yeah it's the classic capitalist propaganda that convinces people to have solidarity with capital by talking about your sweet little neighborhood small business or whatever. Just cause? That's the state forcing your nana to let that deadbeat live in her attic in perpetuity, never mind that the rule doesn't apply to that situation in ten different ways. Airbnb? What about that sweet old retiree just trying to keep up their house? Etc.

You’d regret it. All those beards and the maple syrup sticking to everyone…. It’s not a great situation.

Check out the joes pond ice out. That is a very reliable indicator.

Welcome to Vermont!! Happy to meet you.

Most locals don’t volunteer either. Second homeowners do shop in your stores and eat out when they are in town. Not sure that I agree that they don’t care about the neighbors either. I am a Vermonter, not rich but have done well enough to buy a second in NC.

I heard it was an inch and then rain at lower elevations. If it’s rain it will go a ways to melting the snow. Shit, I’m getting my snow tires off next week.

No, YOU pride and identify us as being a social haven. WE pride ourselves as being self reliant and treating each other with dignity.

You are just making my point so clearly: VT exists outside of our relationship to you. We are not a utopia, we are the real world just like everywhere else.

I think Vermonters treat people very humanely, it just might not look exactly like what you think it should. I don’t “welcome” anyone because I don’t really talk to people I don’t know, I value leaving other people alone.

I have nothing but love in my heart for you, and I really hope you stay.

It’s sometimes hard when we are just going about our daily lives, working and trying to get by, and people are upset we aren’t a greeting card that takes place inside of a farmers market.

Because UVM is one school, and the VSC has many different schools and locations?

Well, disappoints me at least. I’m just one guy not all of Vermont.

I just meant in terms of your first few paragraphs about framing. I thought it was a neutral assessment of “who” owns STRs. I haven’t listened to the episode, so have no opinion on the full episode and whether it answered the listener’s question. I will say it sounds like like not enough housing has been built is an accurate assessment. Otherwise, there’d be enough housing for short-term and long-term inhabitants and housing would be cheaper.

It's literally called "the takings clause" in legal scholarship.

That's a pretty weird argument considering the entire premise of the show is that they answer a listener question:

>What is the status of Airbnb in Vermont? How many units are taking away from locals? And what can be done about it?

Lmao they deleted it as I was about to respond