And, it's home to Airbnb, a company that came into existence to solve the housing shortage crisis by connecting homeowners who are willing to rent out a room with strangers who need a place to stay.
What the heck does Airbnb have to do with solving a "housing shortage crisis" at all? It's an informal system of hotel rooms that is connected through an online booking system.
I'm no fan of an overbearing nanny-state, but the regulation of this kind of informal renting arrangement like this is rooted in a legitimate public interest. Zoning laws, for example, are specifically aimed at keeping people from treating their homes as "their own castles" to protect their neighbors from nuisances that threaten their "own castles."
Let's look at his comparison to Marriott and turn this issue around. If a homeowner has a right to do what he wants with his own property, then this would logically mean that Marriott has the right to buy apartment buildings, condominium developments, etc. and turn them into hotels -- or even resident drug treatment facilities or "halfway houses" for paroled prisoners -- without any government approval at all.
How many homeowners -- including those who are Airbnb partners -- would ever stand for that sort of thing?
“Suppose your best friend is down on her luck. Magnanimously, you give her a spare room in your house”
If my best friend were a “her” and she moved in, my wife would see to it I was the one with a housing problem.
As long as there is anything such as a “Property Tax” your home is not yours but belongs to the government taxing body. If you don’t believe me try not paying your taxes and see.
Airnbnb and Uber fulfill a legitimate human need. You don’t want to pay for an overpriced hotel room or you need a fast, cheap ride to the airport?
Problems solved. You can negotiate with someone who would provide you with a place to stay or a ride at a reasonable cost and both parties benefit.
The only people opposed to share user services are companies who turf is threatened by them so they want to strangle their competition, with the help of politicians in their pockets.
Its crony capitalism, not the free market at work. Share user services are here to stay.
And where do you build in SF?
I guess the next best thing would be eminent domain .
Rip up existing housing,put in dense housing (200 sqft after all no one in SF has kids)and then have a nice tax base to feed government.
Why, that sounds like the right thing to do. Who can see the harm in that?
Now suppose your neighbor has twelve "best friends" who just happen to be illegal aliens or gangbangers or thieving crackheads...
If you cherry-pick specific, anecdotal examples, you can convince a lot of mushy skulls to agree with your agenda.
You say you have a right to use your property as you see fit? Then you won't mind if I drill for oil in my back yard, right? Or start a pig farm?
The free market always benefits (defends) The Middle Class.