"A Blunt Tool"

Today was an interesting day. A new experience. Working with other Airbnb hosts, I was able to sit down and collect signatures to help put a question on the November ballot to preserve our right to continue to operate " locally owned and managed short term rentals." I actually had the pleasure to sit next to someone from Ethan Strimling's group, a DSA member.  Charming and very smart, we ended up speaking about the lack of affordable housing in Portland. Somewhere along the way we I asked her "what should I do with my 3 bedroom 2 bath that, if the DSA opposing question passes in November - I would no longer be able to operate? I explained if I put it on the market I think it would end up renting to a WEX executive or a Doctor from Maine Med or some other professional to the tune of $3500 a month. "This apartment is incredible as are many others and they simply wont revert to "affordable." I felt myself getting angry and said " This city needs to build affordable housing if that's its policy goal. Surprisingly, she agreed with me that these units that people rent short term would likely rent for far higher rental rates then what would ever be considered affordable. So I asked the million dollar question. "Then why go after and demonize Airbnb rentals? I went on to explain that I had planned to use my income from mine to pay for my son's Freshman year at the University of Maine in the fall. The reply " well this is a blunt tool to get the city council to move on affordable housing." That sort of took my breath away. You see, I thought there was some well thought out reason why the opposition had it in for local hosts like myself. Turns out, is feels like we are being hijacked to get the council to "do something."  "Why don't you just pressure the council or come up with a question to put on the ballot to create more supply? " There are different tactics to influence political movement, I was told. We - Airbnb hosts -  are vilified and people are told we are sucking up affordable housing when, one on one, at least with this DSA member, the real story seems a whole lot different.