Airbnb’s impact on housing in San Francisco from 2015 to 2020
Photo by Jesus Garcia on Unsplash Historically, there has been controversy among communities surrounding the rise in Airbnb properties and how that affects housing prices. As a San Francisco resident and Bay Area native myself, I’ve experienced the price increases and neighborhood transformations firsthand. It can be easy to get emotionally caught up the changes this city has undergone, but statistically there is no evidential support of market rates shifting based on Airbnb listings. While Airbnb does have a hand in defining neighborhood culture based on the density of listings in certain areas, it is not solely responsible for causing economic change. Unemployment rates, newly established companies in the area, and the economy overall play important roles in determining real estate and tourism fluctuations. This is why we can’t give Airbnb all the credit. Community Impact Price changes can have a negative impact on local communities. Small businesses can find themselves hurting,...