Diana Sack: Laconia leaders need to address the impacts of rentals

To The Daily Sun,

I appreciate Mayor Mike Bordes’ figures on short term rentals, but I would like to see sources for his figures, like:

• “$10-$20 million in short term rental revenue circulates through the economy" and,
• $850K-$1.7 million in tax revenue comes from STR lodging alone” (Facebook)

These are ranges of 100%, very wide ranges. It sounds as if we really don’t know how much. How are they derived? Are they for Laconia? For New Hampshire?

“Even eliminating every STR would increase housing supply by less than 1% in most markets, far too little to affect prices or availability. Short term rentals make up far too small a share of housing to be blamed for shortages” (Facebook).

“STRs are less than 2-3% of the total housing stock in most NH communities, far too small to be the cause of a housing crisis” (NextDoor) Less than 1% or 2-3%? And as a resort community, isn’t it likely to be higher than average in Laconia?

“STR guests generate meals and rooms tax revenue, which goes straight back into state and local services” (NextDoor). And the state sends back to Laconia as little as we let them get away with.

The questions that I would like to see Laconia leaders address are, if short term rentals in single family residential zones were instead owned or rented by year-round Laconia workers, how many businesses would be able to fully staff growth here or even avoid going out of business? How many outside businesses would be attracted here by a more stable workforce?

And what would it mean to unhoused neighbors to have an address to put on job applications and the ability to go to their jobs with a more secure place to leave their worldly goods than a tent in the woods or a shopping cart?

Diana Sack

Laconia