San Diego's Hidden Housing Crisis: The Airbnb Effect

San Diego is facing a housing crisis. It's not a small issue—it's a big one. And a significant part of the problem is Airbnbs.

The Numbers

• 10,600 homes in San Diego are currently used as short-term rentals.
• That's like having an entire other city within San Diego where families can't live.

The Reality

These homes might look appealing on Instagram, but in reality, they're not helping the housing situation.

• When a home becomes an Airbnb, it's gone from the housing market.
• A family can't live there.
• A nurse can't rent it.
• A young couple can't start their life there.

The Bigger Picture

• Housing isn't elastic. You can't just make more of it.
• When a home is turned into an Airbnb, it's like it's been demolished.
• San Diego needs 108,036 new homes by 2029 just to keep up with population growth.
• With homes being turned into Airbnbs, we're moving backward.

The Impact

• 10,600 homes is not a few—it's a mid-sized town's worth of homes that families can't use.
• The city is proposing a tax on vacation home operations as a start to address the issue.

The Problem

The problem is evident in:

• High rent prices
• Overcrowded apartments
• Teachers commuting from far away
• Homelessness crisis

The Solution

Housing is precious in San Diego. It's like water in a drought. We need to treat it that way.

• An Airbnb might not look like a demolition, but it's a demolition all the same.
• Until we stop tearing down homes this way, we'll never build enough to catch up.