iampg t1_iy43nrt wrote on November 28, 2022 at 4:37 PM

To beat the obviously dead horse, AirBnBs are taxed same as hotels.

A different approach (consider it before you burn me). 1. Reduce requirements for affordable housing in most of Burlington. 1. Reduce tax on new housing development. 3. Require institutions to sponsor high density housing near their campuses.

What we need is more, better housing stock. Only private enterprise will create this, and only if it's profitable. If developers can make unlimited amounts of new units with incentive to make unlimited profits, they will. Unlike trickle down, this is rising tide - it lifts all ships when more, better housing becomes available. Those who can afford it, do, and leave in their wake vacant "better" housing. The current practice of enforcing affordable housing in all developments only reduces the likelihood of them being built, and doesn't actually create more affordable housing (see: Vermont).

Real capitalism doesn't provide the greatest good in most cases for basic needs, but for housing it actually might - maybe the best waterfront location in all of Burlington should be rented at market rate instead of as affordable housing? For instance, if the building at the end of lake street was rented at market luxury rate it would generate 3-4x (?) revenue which could be used to provide 2-3x the amount affordable housing in another location. This might be an unpopular idea with some folks, but probably provides the most common good.

Most_Expert_8080 t1_iy5ep6j wrote on November 28, 2022 at 9:47 PM

"Native Vermonters" would rather set themselves and their houses on fire before more housing is allowed to be built here.

Loudergood t1_iy5y9pl wrote on November 29, 2022 at 12:07 AM

Acting like builders aren't booked out for the next 12 months...

No-Ganache7168 t1_iy6woct wrote on November 29, 2022 at 4:43 AM

You would see more housing stock but it wouldn’t be more affordable. Large scale developers would build huge complexes and charge rents affordable to the upper middle class. Look at the rents for new developments in Williston and south Burlington. Recently I visited a friend in lamoille county and there were lots of new housing developments being built. I asked my friend if it was easier to find affordable rents and she said that the 1 and 2 bedroom units were going for $1800 to $2000.