Community Corner
Airbnbs Have Generated $40M For Jersey City Economy, Company Says
'Our community is not going to be quiet. This is how they support their families,' an Airbnb spokesperson said.
JERSEY CITY, NJ — Short-term apartment rentals like Airbnbs contributed $40 million to the Jersey City economy last year and people who run them are speaking out against proposed regulations that would govern such services.
"Our community is not going to be quiet. This is how they support their families. This is how they give back to the community," said Liz DeBold Fusco, an Airbnb spokesperson. "There are people who have been told, 'You're not welcome here.'"
Fusco said that while Airbnb and those running short-term rentals support regulating the industry in Jersey City, they do not support a blanket ban of the practice. They are urging residents to vote "no"to proposed regulations regarding short-term rentals in Jersey City via a municipal question on Election Day, Nov. 5.
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"We support regulation, but what we can't support is a ban. There is an absolute need for regulation, but not a ban," Fusco said. "Let's say 'no' and figure this out with the city."
There are approximately 1,500 Airbnb rentals in Jersey City, Fusco said.
Find out what's happening in Jersey Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The City Council passed an ordinance earlier this year calling for new restrictions on short-term rental services like Airbnb, NJ.com reported. But, Airbnb collected 20,000 signatures and successfully got the question placed on the November ballot.
Since then, groups on both sides of the issue have urged residents to vote on the issue.
Keep Our Homes, a Jersey City community group, recently came out wants people to vote "no," while Jersey City Together issued a statement this week recommending people vote "yes."
"Jersey City is in a housing crisis. With 40 percent of families in housing stress, we have to act on every level — building new housing that is affordable for families, preserving existing, lower-cost housing (like apartments under rent control), and requiring more affordable units from developers," Jersey City Together said in a statement.
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