Airbnb’s First Senior Housing Economist Digs Into Urban Impact
Photo Caption: A file photo of the view from a loft Airbnb in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in April 2019. Source: Mish Mash/.Flickr.com https://flickr.com/photos/mishmish/33688151108/in/photolist-5nDaNd-aWTnFi-ppDbpM-TjUzDw-a8a975-2hUaBYc-dpUJ7v-S2C728-2hUaC4N-cx45Ab-dpUJw4-dpUUHE-2hU89xX-Btsz7c-ckhP35-ay1Q4v-8pH7PN-8pH11f-ASaVSZ-RE82F8-RE82QM-RE82LP-RE82H2-Br92HQ-exgJNY-dQwgnX-KiAcYn-N9CJoJ-2157Cqm-217ffFC-217ffD3-2157Cwo-Gdq6ft-AvWDyY-JEuK25-Bts2XP-onKdtQ-8pDWtP-8pDX8r-26cCAK9-8pDQgx-8pDQrz-pSiqGW-8pDQbg-27S4zf3-PjVrrN-N9CJUU-PjVrtb-N9CJHb-PjVrow
Skift Take
The housing market is nothing if not complex. Airbnb wants to leverage data to convince cities that its benefits are under-appreciated.
Airbnb is launching a housing research program and to hear its first senior housing economist tell it, one goal is to clear up civic "misunderstandings" about the housing market and Airbnb's role in it.
Taylor Marr, most recently the deputy chief economist at real estate brokerage Redfin, has been at Airbnb for about a month.
In an exclusive news interview with Skift on Thursday, Marr downplayed Airbnb's negative impact on affordable housing, citing a Conference Board of Canada study published Wednesday that found no connection between Airbnb and rent fluctuations across 19 cities.
But Marr did acknowledge what some would say is obvious: That Airbnb does have negative impacts on some communities. It's a high priority at Airbnb to come to terms with cities so it can avoid New York City-like bans.
"In some places, there may be a role where Airbnb needs to work with cities to come up with regulations that minimize any negative impacts to commu
