RE: Affordable Housing. Take Me Home, 9/7
It's a complicated issue but let's also talk about Short Term Rental Permits if you want to discuss affordability. A reason for lack of affordability falls on the city for allowing people to acquire short term rental permits, aka STR's. It is a big business for Airbnb and platforms alike, investors and for the city as well because it generates a large amount of tax revenue. When I was on Summit West Neighborhood Association Board, we would get land use notices for our area and most of them were in regards to investors from out of state purchasing homes in Bend and acquiring an STR permit so they could rent them out. It was sickening for me to watch our city allow this, especially from out of state investors whom have no attachment to our community and provide these permits on a continuous basis. I have written several letters to our city council in regards to this. When someone has a STR it also increases the value of the home because it's a big income producer. The city makes a ton of money from the taxes they acquire so they are not motivated to stop issuing the permits. And because of this permit, when a sweet local family starting out wants to buy a house, well, it becomes unaffordable. It is documented that Airbnb has created situations all over the world where housing becomes completely unaffordable and they have ruined cities and in turn the communities within the cities. There are cities in the U.S. that have banned Airbnb and it has definitely helped with affordability and creating more cohesive communities. I know we are a tourist destination but we also have to be a thriving local community where everyone can afford to live, play and work here. Let the tourists go to hotels and B&B's.
—Nicole Perullo via bendsource.com
Bend's Growth
On page 5 of the Source Weekly's 9/14/23 issue, long-term resident Cindi Garvie expressed dismay at Bend's "uncontrolled pattern of growth" and suggests putting the growth issue to a community vote. But on page 6 our pro-growth Mayor said in her "state of the city" address that "we need more housing." She said that Bend needs to plan for the 40,000 additional residents predicted over the next two decades.
Mayor Kebler is only looking at one side of the equation for a supposed solution to housing costs and shortages, i.e. build more "affordable" housing. I have not read of any Bend city councilors examining the other side of the equation, which is slowing immigration into Bend. This seems to be a taboo subject for all city leaders.
Two steps could be immediately taken that would help to ease the housing shortage while slowing the manic construction of living units on every vacant lot and large yard. They will not be considered, however, because they might bruise our almighty tourism industry.
Step #1: Stop Visit Bend from advertising for more tourists/immigrants in glossy travel magazines. I'm sure that Bend's tourism industry will do just fine without such advertising.
Step #2: Phase out the city's permitting of short-term vacation rentals. If housing is so badly needed by residents, why are tourists allowed to displace residents with a thousand STRs? Is it because STR permits are a cash cow for the city?
I wish Bend had a city council and mayor who would get onboard with slowing immigration into Bend instead of encouraging it by cramming in as many living units as quickly as possible. Voters, what say you?
—Eddie Kinnamon
RE: Amid Rising Costs of Living, Should We Spread Transportation Fees Around? Opinion, 9/14
To add some additional information: there are many more opportunities to share your input beyond watching the roundtables we are holding with community representatives (including nonprofits, schools, parks, the businesses community, neighborhoods, and our advisory committees).
For instance: folks can email us at [email protected], they can come to our nighttime meetings to give us comments (or comment from home by Zoom), they can call our public phone numbers listed on our Council website, and they can talk with their Neighborhood District members (we have told all the neighborhoods we will come to them to present and have two planned already, including one coming up with three of our neighborhoods in the Southeast part of town.) People can also visit http://www.bendoregon.gov/transportation-fee where you can get more information and also the contact info for our staff person handling the project, Sarah Hutson, who is happy to answer questions and take input as well.
We have been receiving emails from folks regularly about this and will continue to have opportunities for input beyond the focused conversations we are having with stakeholders at our roundtable meetings.
—Melanie Kebler via bendsource.com
RE: Should City Charge Residents a $10-$15 Transportation Fee? Web Survey, 9/14-20
The issue is that only a small portion of the actual road users will be paying the bulk of this "Fee" (a tax in reality if the city council was actually being honest). Bend is essentially a tourism-based economy and with no sales tax, tourists get a bargain on the backs of local residents. A better approach would be 1) an additional $20-25 per night fee on hotel and AirBnB rentals dedicated to the transportation needs; 2) annual license fee and registration of every 16" wheel or large bicycle ridden in the city with those funds dedicated only to the construction or maintenance of bike lanes or bike paths in the city (as a true user fee should be) and 3) a 3-5% fee on the rental of sporting goods such as skis, kayaks and e-bikes with those funds dedicated solely to transportation maintenance projects. None of these costs (most which are discretionary income in nature) would have any negative impact on the number of visitors to Bend. This would be the first approach the city leaders should take rather than creating significant financial impacts on necessary costs for limited income members of our community.
—Michael Rindfleisch via bendsource.com
Letter of the Week:
Thanks for all the passionate commentary about housing and housing affordability this week, readers! Michael, you got letter of the week.
—Nicole Vulcan
