BY CASSANDRA JENKINS
Looking ahead
Measuring the impact
Ursula Jessee, an Airbnb host in the Greater Heights, said she started operating a short-term rental three years ago after a cancer diagnosis and a newborn baby made her look at her life di erently. “I wanted to spend more time with my family, so I started to think about what would enable me to do that,” she said. “Then I happened to fall into hosting.” According to Airbnb data, the average host in Houston earned approximately $8,700 in supple- mental income in 2023. An internal survey of Houston in 2023 from Airbnb showed: • 56% of hosts used the additional income to keep up with the rising cost of living. • 42% used the money to cover food and other basic expenses. • 10% said it helped them avoid eviction or foreclosure. For Jessee, she said it allows her to spend more
The proposed short-term rental regulations will return to the Quality of Life Committee on Dec. 9 for discussion. The meeting is open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comment. Ramirez said once a draft is nished, the proposal will need to be placed on a future City Council agenda. He said the committee is aiming to have the nal regulations presented to the council by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
“I am in favor of reasonable regulations that do not impede on the average Houstonian’s ability to rent their homes, but we have to nd a
way to address the bad actors that are creating a problem for everyone.” ABBIE KAMIN, DISTRICT C COUNCIL MEMBER
time at home while also helping others. She said people have used her home to stay while visiting nearby cancer hospitals or after eeing a hurricane. “It brings me a lot of joy being able to help people—be it di cult times or happy times,” she said. “I know that short-term rentals seem to get a bad reputation, but I would argue that 95% of us are just regular folks helping families nd somewhere to stay and be safe and happy.”
Quality of Life Committee Dec. 9, 2 p.m. Anna Russell Council Chambers,
second oor of City Hall 901 Bagby St., Houston
SOURCE: CITY OF HOUSTON COMMUNITY IMPACT
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