#  The Upside of Home-Sharing In LA

     Details    Kelly Van Patter   ![logo](https://www.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         October 23 2017      [  ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2017/085f.png)    ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14238-the-upside-of-home-sharing-in-la)

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> VOICES-Hotel​ ​industry​ ​groups​ ​are​ ​misrepresenting​ ​the Airbnb​ ​community​ ​to​ ​protect​ ​profits. As ​a ​56 ​year-​old ​Production ​Designer ​who ​has ​called ​East ​Los ​Angeles ​home ​for ​the past ​13 ​years, ​I ​have ​increasingly ​experienced ​ageism ​and ​fewer ​job ​opportunities ​and have ​turned ​to ​home-sharing ​to ​help ​pay ​my ​bills.

 Sadly, ​the ​show ​that ​I ​work ​on ​went ​on ​an ​indefinite ​hiatus ​and ​without ​the ​extra income ​I ​get ​from ​sharing ​my ​home, ​I ​would ​be ​in​ ​dire ​straits, ​unable ​to pay ​my ​bills. ​Home-sharing ​has ​supported ​me ​during ​this ​​trying ​time, so when I see ​the ​hotel ​lobby ​continue ​to ​spend ​money ​to ​change ​regulations ​and ​spread misleading ​information ​about ​hosts ​like ​myself, ​I ​take ​it ​personally.

Contrary ​to ​what ​some ​hotel-backed ​groups ​might ​have ​you ​believe, ​I ​am ​a ​very responsible ​community ​member ​who ​enjoys ​hosting ​visitors ​from ​around ​the ​world. My ​area ​has ​zero ​quality ​hotels ​for ​​visitors ​who ​come ​to ​USC’s ​Keck ​School ​of Medicine, ​Downtown ​LA ​or ​as ​tourists. ​These ​guests ​support ​small ​local ​businesses and ​restaurants ​and ​bring ​tourism ​dollars ​to ​neighborhoods ​that ​are ​not ​served ​by hotels ​or ​big ​chains.

The ​hotel ​industry ​has ​waged ​a ​campaign ​of ​misinformation ​against ​the ​home-sharing community ​in ​Los ​Angeles ​in ​an ​effort ​to ​protect ​their ​profits. ​Although ​these hotel-backed ​groups ​express ​concern ​about ​the ​affordable ​housing ​crisis ​in ​LA, ​they do nothing for that situation and instead stand by, reaping ​hundreds ​of ​millions ​in ​tax ​subsidies ​for ​their ​development projects. ​The ​city ​has ​a ​budget ​deficit; money raised by taxing Airbnb ​could ​be ​redirected ​to help ​fund ​city ​services ​and ​the ​construction ​of ​new ​homes ​for ​families.

And ​while ​claiming ​to ​be ​concerned ​about ​the ​jobs ​of ​hotel ​workers, ​the ​hotel industry ​was ​the ​strongest ​opponent ​to ​efforts ​to ​raise ​the ​minimum ​wage ​for ​LA hotel ​workers. ​So ​there ​is ​a ​double ​standard ​here. It’s all ​about ​benefitting the ​hotels ​and ​no ​one ​else. As ​the ​city ​considers ​short-term ​rental ​rules, ​I ​urge ​our ​elected ​officials ​to ​take ​all ​of this ​into ​consideration ​and ​understand ​the ​changing ​economic ​environment. ​If ​we look ​beyond ​the ​misleading ​hotel ​industry ​claims, ​and ​​work ​to ​create ​regulations that ​preserve ​home-sharing’s ​economic ​benefits for ​hosts ​like ​myself ​and ​the ​City ​of ​Los Angeles, ​there ​is ​room ​for ​all ​to ​thrive.

While ​we ​contemplate ​the ​concerns ​about ​affordable ​housing ​and ​party ​houses, ​we should ​not ​enact ​regulations ​that ​negatively ​impact ​responsible ​hosts. ​If ​we ​want ​to tackle ​these ​issues, ​city ​leaders ​and ​groups ​backed ​by ​the ​hotel ​industry ​should ​focus on ​policies allowing ​construction ​of ​more ​affordable ​housing, ​not on hurting ​Angelenos ​who have come to ​rely ​on ​home-sharing.

Everyday ​Angelenos ​​trying ​to ​make ​ends ​meet ​should ​not ​suffer ​because ​the hotel ​industry ​wants ​to ​continue protecting their profits by ​monopolizing ​LA’s ​hospitality ​sector.

*(Kelly Van Patter lives in East LA and is an Airbnb host.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.

- *For another [perspective on Airbnb’s](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/los-angeles-for-rss/14176-los-angeles-illegal-planning-capital-of-the-world).*

  - [  Previous Article **While LA Sleeps … Ignoring Its Gathering Storm** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14240:while-la-sleeps-ignoring-its-gathering-storm&catid=312)
- [  Next Article **The Dodgers Have Only Done This Once** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14237:the-dodgers-have-only-done-this-once&catid=312)
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