[Quality of Life Committee]
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ALL GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.I'M CHAIR OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.
I WANNA WELCOME YOU ALL TO THIS COMMITTEE MEETING.
IT'S ALMOST ONE 30 WEDNESDAY, JULY 31ST, 2024.
JOINING ME HERE AT COUNCIL TABLE ARE VICE CHAIR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ.
COUNCIL MARY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANN HUFFMAN.
SO WE DO HAVE A QUORUM AND WE'LL PROCEED AS CARTER CARTER, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S, OFFICE, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER FRED FLICKINGER OFFICE AS WELL.
JOINING VIRTUALLY WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE AS WELL, UH, RUNNING THE TECHNOLOGY PORTION OF IT.
MY CHIEF OF STAFF, JOHN MOSS, AND BORROWING FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECKS STAFF ALAN ROMAN.
SO APPRECIATE THEM BEING HERE.
ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UH, WE HAVE, AS SUBJECT MATTER THIS AFTERNOON, A MATTER OF GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SHORT TERM RENTALS AND THEIR POSSIBLE REGULATION.
I WANNA NOTE THAT IN TAKING UP THIS SUBJECT, WE ARE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXCELLENT WORK DONE PREVIOUSLY ON THIS MATTER BY COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN AND HER CHIEF OF STAFF JORDAN FRAZIER.
OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE WORKED ON THIS ISSUE AS WELL, INCLUDING A VICE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN AS WELL.
SO WE'RE INDEBTED TO THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS ON THIS TOPIC.
SO, SHORT-TERM RENTALS WERE THE SUBJECT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETING IN MARCH OF 2023.
I WATCHED THAT RECORDING A FEW DAYS AGO AT THE MEETING.
A PRESENTATION WAS MADE BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF AIRBNB AND NUMEROUS RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OFFERED PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL.
AND SO IN, IN CONSIDERING THIS TOPIC, SEVERAL QUESTIONS SURROUNDING SHORT-TERM RENTALS HAVE BEEN RAISED BY, UH, RESIDENTS COMPLAINING OF VARIOUS BAD OR INCONSIDERATE BEHAVIOR ON THE PART OF SOME SHORT-TERM RENTAL CUSTOMERS.
THOSE QUESTIONS INCLUDE WHAT LEGAL REMEDIES ARE AVAILABLE TO THE CITY OR TO RESIDENTS TO STOP OR REDUCE SUCH BAD BEHAVIOR? CAN FOR INSTANCE, SHORT-TERM RENTALS BE BANNED? CAN THE EXISTING HOTEL ORDINANCE BE APPLIED TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS? SHORT OF THOSE MEASURES, WHAT KINDS OF REGULATIONS CAN LEGALLY BE APPLIED? WHAT STEPS SHOULD THE CITY HAVE TO TAKE BEFORE ENACTING REGULATIONS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS? WE HOPE TO AT LEAST BEGIN TO ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS THIS AFTERNOON.
TO THAT END, WE WILL HEAR FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY'S ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, OR A RA ALSO PRESENT, HOPEFULLY WILL BE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHO THAT IS.
AND, UH, ALSO PRESENT WILL BE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AS RESOURCES.
FOLLOWING THE TWO PRESENTATIONS, WE WILL HEAR FROM YOU FOLKS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE.
WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS, WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THIS PROCESS, AND WE WON'T BE DONE TODAY.
BUT WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THIS PROCESS WILL BE BETTER FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
IF YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY EMAILED OUR OFFICE TO SPEAK, THERE IS A SIGNUP SHEET LOCATED ON THE TABLE TO MY LEFT, YOUR RIGHT.
UH, MY STAFF AT THE TABLE CAN ASSIST YOU AS WELL.
GLORIA RODRIGUEZ, DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICE AND OUR SUMMER IN INTERN LUCIA ROMO.
BEFORE WE PROCEED ANY FURTHER, UH, VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
UM, JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
ALRIGHT, SO OUR FIRST PRESENTATION WILL BE FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE WITH US, UM, RASHAD GAMBRELL, AND MR. LIN AS WELL.
AND SO, UH, YOU GENTLEMEN HAVE PREPARED A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION,
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UH, TO GO ALONG WITH YOUR REMARKS.AND SO YOU ARE FREE TO, TO START WHENEVER YOU'D LIKE.
AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION WE HAVE, UH, ON THE BIG SCREENS TO MY RIGHT UP THERE, THE PRESENTATION WILL BE SHOWN AS WELL.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU CONCERNING THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE OF SHORT TERM RENTALS.
WE'RE NOT, UH, INTENDING TO COVER ALL THE SDR REGULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED IN TEXAS.
BUT RATHER, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE A, MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE LEGAL ISSUES THAT CITIES HAVE FACED WHEN THEY'VE ADOPTED SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS.
SPECIFICALLY WHEN, I'M SORRY, IF I COULD INTERRUPT.
CAN, CAN EVERYONE HEAR HIM? NO.
IS THERE A WAY TO, YOU MIGHT BE MOVE CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE.
IS THAT, IS THAT BETTER? OKAY.
IF YOU COULD JUST TRY TO SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT, THAT WOULD HELP.
IS THAT, I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY CAN HEAR ME.
NOW, BEFORE DISCUSSING ANY SPECIFIC CASES INVOLVING ST.
STR OR SHORT FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS, UM, WE WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT FIVE KEY CLAIMS THAT ROUTINELY COME UP IN SHORT-TERM RENTAL LITIGATION.
AND WE THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT 'CAUSE THESE ARE THE KEYS OR THE LEGAL, UM, ISSUES THAT ANY CITY MUST BE AWARE OF WHEN A CRAFT SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS.
AND WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE TOP THREE.
SO WE'RE GONNA KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT A TAKINGS IS, UM, WHAT A RETROACTIVE LAW IS AND WHAT A DUE PROCESS OR DUE DUE COURSE OF LAW, UM, VIOLATION IS.
BUT UNDERLYING THESE KEY ISSUES, UM, AND CLAIMS AND SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS ARE A FEW LEGAL PRINCIPLES REGARDING PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERSHIP AND PROPERTY RIGHTS.
NUMBER ONE, TEXAS COMMON LAW FAVORS THE FREE AND UNRESTRICTED USE OF PROPERTY UNLESS THE PROPERTY IS SUBJECT TO SOME SPECIFIC REGULATIONS, SOME VERY SPECIFIC DEED RESTRICTIONS, UM, OR A ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND ALSO THE ABILITY TO LEASE PROPERTY IS A FUNDAMENTAL PRIVILEGE OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.
AND I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WORD LEASE, UM, BECAUSE WE ALL REFER TO SHORT TERM RENTALS AND WE KIND OF ALL KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, UH, COLLOQUIALLY.
BUT, UH, THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS THE ABILITY TO RE LEASE PROPERTY.
NOW, THE MOST FREQUENT LEGAL CLAIM WITH SHORT-TERM RENTALS IS THAT THEY'RE ALLEGED TO BE A TAKING IN VIOLATION OF THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF TAKINGS.
THERE'S A PHYSICAL TAKINGS, AND THAT'S WHEN THE GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY COMES IN AND THEY COME TO YOUR PROPERTY AND TAKE IT OR USE A PORTION OF IT FOR PUBLIC USE.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH RENTAL REGULATIONS.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A REGULATORY TAKING.
AND THAT IS IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE SHORT TERM REGULATIONS DENY A PROPERTY OWNER ALL ECONOMICALLY VIABLE USE OF THEIR PROPERTY OR THE REGULATION UNREASONABLY INTERFERES WITH THE OWNER'S RIGHT TO USE AND ENJOY THE PROPERTY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WITH A LOT OF, UH, CITIES THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO ADOPT SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS THAT EXPRESSLY BAN THE OPERATION OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS, UM, THE COURTS HAVE FOUND THAT THAT ACTION TO BAN THEM IS NOTHING MORE THAN A REGULATORY TAKING.
ANOTHER KEY LEGAL ISSUE, IT'S KIND OF QUIRKY WITH, WITH SHORT TERM REGULATIONS, IS THE CLAIM THAT THE, THE REGULATIONS ARE RETROACTIVE LAWS, UM, OR UNCONSTITUTIONAL RETROACTIVE LAWS.
AND SO WHAT DOES A RETROACTIVE LAW LOOK LIKE? WHAT, WHAT IS IT? AND IN A NUTSHELL, IT'S A LAW THAT AFFECTS RIGHTS WHICH HAVE ACCRUED BEFORE THE LAW BECAME EFFECTIVE.
UM, LET ME TRY TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UM, LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE, YOU PURCHASED PROPERTY, UM, AND YOU DECIDE YOU WANNA START LEASING IT.
AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA USE THAT TERM SHORT TERM RENTAL, BUT I ALSO WANNA BACK AWAY FROM THAT TERM A LITTLE BIT AND JUST FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT YOU NOW OWN PRIVATE PROPERTY.
YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEASE IT PERHAPS FOR DIFFERENT TERM LINKS.
UM, AND TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAS BEEN NO DEED RESTRICTION OR ANY OTHER COVENANT THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LEASING YOUR PROPERTY.
AND THEN ALONG COMES A GOVERNMENT REGULATION THAT PERHAPS GOES SO FAR AS TO BAN YOUR ABILITY TO LEASE YOUR PROPERTY FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME WHERE IT SHOULD BE NO LESS THAN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
WELL, THAT IN OF ITSELF IS AN EXAMPLE, A VERY SIMPLIFIED EXAMPLE OF WHAT A RETROACTIVE LAW IS.
THAT IS A LAW THAT COMES INTO PLACE AND IT AFFECTS AND AN ACCRUED OR SETTLED, RIGHT, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO USE YOUR PROPERTY.
NOW NOT ALL RETROACTIVE LAWS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT HAS PROMULGATED
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A TEST TO DETERMINE WHEN AN RETROACTIVE LAW IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.UM, AND SO THE COURTS LOOK TO, WELL, ON ONE HAND, WHAT IS THE PUBLIC INTEREST SERVED, YOU KNOW, BY THE BAN THAT'S BEEN PUT IN PLACE OR THE REGULATION THAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
BUT THE COURT IS ALSO GONNA LOOK AT WHAT IS THE PRIOR RIGHT THAT HAS BEEN IMPLICATED OR IMPACTED? WELL, HERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY RIGHTS AND THEY'RE ALSO GONNA LOOK AT TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THAT RIGHT IMPACTED? IS IT A REGULATION THAT JUST SAYS YOU CAN ONLY USE YOUR PROPERTY IN THESE CERTAIN WAYS, OR IS IT A TOTAL BAN? IS IT SOMETHING THAT SAYS YOU CAN NO LONGER DO THIS WITH YOUR PROPERTY AT ALL? AND UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF CITIES THAT HAVE EITHER SOUGHT TO BAN SHORT-TERM RENTALS OR THEY HAVE REGULATED THEM IN SUCH A WAY, UM, THE COURTS HAVE FOUND THAT THOSE ARE ACTUALLY RETROACTIVE LAWS, UM, THAT ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.
SO WE WANNA KEEP THAT IN, IN MIND TOO, IS ONE OF THE, THE PREMISES OF THE LEGAL CLAIMS THAT WE SEE QUITE OFTEN WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UM, ANOTHER MAJOR, I'M SORRY, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
ANOTHER MAJOR LEGAL CLAIM WE SEE WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS IS DUE PROCESS AND DUE COURSE OF LAW CLAIMS. UM, AND SO WHAT IS DUE PROCESS? WELL, IT CAN REALLY BE BROKEN DOWN INTO BOTH PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS.
UM, PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS REALLY DEALS WITH, BEFORE YOU CAN TAKE SOMEONE'S LIFE, LIBERTY, OR PROPERTY INTEREST, YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM NOTICE AND OPPORTUNITY BE HEARD BEFORE AN IMPARTIAL HEARING OFFICER.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS.
AND THAT CAN REALLY BOIL DOWN TO ONE QUESTION.
AND THE QUESTION IS, WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S DEPRIVATION OF THE PROPERTY INTEREST JUSTIFIED BY A SUFFICIENT PURPOSE? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S RATIONAL BASIS FOR THE REGULATION THAT IT ADOPTED? AND A LOT OF TIMES WHAT CITIES DO IS THEY TRY TO COME FORWARD WITH EVIDENCE, DATA, OTHER DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT THEY'VE ADOPTED.
AGAIN, SHOWING SOME OF THE, THE, THE BRIGHT LINE DISPARITIES, SOME OF THE CITIES THAT HAVE GONE FORWARD AND JUST SIMPLY ADOPTED REGULATORY CONTROLS THAT BAN SHORT-TERM RENTALS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE THOSE BANS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO COME FORWARD WITH DATA TO SHOW THAT THIS WAS NECESSARY BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT THEY RECEIVED OR THE PROBLEMS IN THEIR PARTICULAR JURISDICTION.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE MAJOR LEGAL CLAIMS THAT THAT CITIES HAVE HAVE COME UP AGAINST WHEN THEY'VE ADOPTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS, UM, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT THAT BAN THEM.
BUT NOW TYRONE WILL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE CASES THAT, THAT WE'VE SEEN IN TEXAS THAT KIND OF EXEMPLIFIES SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE LEGAL CLAIMS THAT I'VE TRIED TO EXPLAIN THIS MORNING, THIS AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU RASHAD AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS AFTERNOON.
NOW THAT RASHAD HAS EXPLAINED SOME OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES FACING SHORT-TERM RENTALS, I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS SOME RELEVANT TEXAS CASES THAT HAVE IMPACTED OR ARE IMPACTING THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS HERE IN TEXAS.
UM, AS RASHARD ALLUDED TO, ALTHOUGH CASE LAW IS STILL DEVELOPING ON SDRS, I THINK THERE'S A COMMON THEME THROUGHOUT THE CASES THAT I'LL BE DISCUSSING, UM, EXCEPT FOR MAYBE THE ARLINGTON CASE.
AND THAT IS THAT COURTS GENERALLY DIS FAVOR ORDINANCE REGULATIONS THAT EFFECTIVELY BAN SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
SO THE FIRST CASE IS VILLAGE OF TIKI ISLAND VERSUS RONELL A CASE OUT OF THE FIRST COURT OF APPEALS IN HOUSTON.
THE TIKI ISLAND IS A GOOD CASE, GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN OR WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF A CITY'S ORDINANCE TRIES TO BAN SDRS EVEN WHILE GRANDFATHERING EXISTING ONES.
SO THAT'S WHAT TIKI ISLAND DID IN 2014, BAN ALL SDRS BUT GRANDFATHERED EXISTING ONES.
THIS IS DESPITE HAVING ALLOWED SHORT-TERM RENTALS TO OPERATE FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS BEFORE THE PASSING OF THEIR ORDINANCE.
A GROUP OF PROPERTY OWNERS NOT GRANDFATHER AND FILED LAWSUIT CLAIMING A REGULATORY TAKING, ARGUING AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT THEY WOULD SUFFER IMMEDIATE HARM FROM LOSS OF THEIR SHORT-TERM RENTAL INCOME.
THE APPELLATE COURT FOUND THE REMAINING HOMEOWNER AS THE OTHER PLAINTIFFS WERE NOT HEARD BECAUSE OF COURT PROCEDURAL ISSUES PRESENTED EVIDENCE THAT A MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE, WHICH PROHIBITED SHORT-TERM RENTALS, CONSTITUTED A REGULATORY TAKING BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE INTERFERED WITH THEIR RIGHT TO ENJOY AND USE THEIR PROPERTY AND HAD AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE PROPERTY'S VALUE.
THE NEXT CASE IS CITY OF GRAPEVINE VMS. THIS IS ANOTHER CASE WHERE CITY BANNED ALL SHORT-TERM RENTALS DESPITE ALLOWING THEM TO OPERATE BEFORE PASSING THEIR ORDINANCE.
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AFTER A SURGE OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND COMPLAINTS FROM RESIDENTS LIVING NEARBY SHORT-TERM RENTALS SUCH AS NOISE DISTURBANCES, INCREASED VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND STREET PARKING PROBLEMS, GRAPEVINE PASSED AN ORDINANCE IN 2018 BANNING ALL SHORT-TERM RENTALS.GRAPEVINE GRAPEVINE CLAIMED ITS ORDINANCE SIMPLY CLARIFIED A 2000 ZONING ORDINANCE THAT DID NOT EXPRESSLY ALLOW STR THE ZONING ORDINANCE ALLOWED BED AND BREAKFAST, BUT NOT SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING, DWELLING, TRANSIENT RENTAL, A TERM NOT DEFINED IN THEIR ZONING, ZONING ORDINANCE.
PROPERTY OWNERS FILED SUIT CLAIMING THE ORDINANCE WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT WAS RETROACTIVE VIOLATED DUE PROCESS AND WAS A REGULATORY TAKING.
AND ULTIMATELY THE APPELLATE COURT AGREED THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS HAD VALID CLAIMS AFFIRMING THEIR RIGHTS TO LEASE THEIR PROPERTIES ON A SHORT TERM BASIS.
I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE IN THIS CASE THAT THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT DENIED GRAPEVINES PETITION TO REVIEW THE CASE GIVING HOMEOWNERS IN THE LAWSUIT ANOTHER WIN TO CONTINUE RENTING OUT THEIR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CASE IS HEADED BACK TO COURT TRIAL COURT, BUT WITH NO TRIAL DATE SCHEDULED AT THIS TIME.
SO THERE ARE TWO AUSTIN CASES WE'D LIKE TO DISCUSS.
THE FIRST CASE IS CITY OF AUSTIN VERSUS ATARI.
IN 2016, AUSTIN ATTEMPTED TO TIE ITS 2012 STR ORDINANCE.
THE 2012 ORDINANCE REQUIRED PROPERTY TO SATISFY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA LIKE PAYMENT OF HOT TAXES AND PROOF OF INSURANCE, AND OBTAIN A LICENSE BEFORE RENTING OUT THEIR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
ORDINANCE CREATED THREE TYPES OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL CATEGORIES.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER FOR THIS CASE IS THAT AUSTIN ATTEMPTED TO BAN TYPE TWO RENTALS, WHICH IS SINGLE FAMILY NOT OWNER OCCUPIED AND IMPOSED SPECIFIC ASSEMBLY RESTRICTIONS, INCLUDING A RATHER RESTRICTED PROVISION THAT PROHIBITED ASSEMBLIES SUCH AS WEDDINGS AND PARTIES BETWEEN 10:00 PM AND 7:00 AM.
PROPERTY OWNERS CLAIM THAT BANNING TYPE TWO RENTALS AND IMPOSING THESE CONDUCT AND ASSEMBLY RESTRICTIONS VIOLATED THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS, PRIVACY, FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY DUE COURSE AND EQUAL PROTECTION.
THE STATE ALSO THOUGHT THAT AUSTIN'S ORDINANCE WAS UNLAWFUL, SO IT INTERVENED IN THE LAWSUIT CLAIMING THAT BANNING TYPE TWO RENTALS WAS GONE UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
THE APPELLATE COURT AGREED AND FOUND THAT BANNING TYPE TWO RENTALS AS RETROACTIVE LAW AND AS AS AN UNCOMPENSATED PROPERTY.
TAKING IN THE COURT'S ANALYSIS, IT STATED THAT THE CITY'S PUBLIC INTEREST FOR BANNING TYPE TWO RENTALS WAS SLIGHT AND THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE RECORD TO SUPPORT A CONCLUSION THAT BANNING TYPE TWO RENTALS WOULD RESOLVE THE CITY'S CONCERNS, WHICH INCLUDED PUBLIC SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE.
WELFARE CONCERNS LIKE PUBLIC INTOXICATION, OPEN DRUG USE, AND LOUD MUSIC.
THE COURT ALSO SAID PROVISIONS LIMITING ASSEMBLIES IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS A SIGNIFICANT ABRIDGEMENT OF THE FUN FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO ASSEMBLY.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE COURT'S HOLDINGS ARE BASED ON ORDINANCES THAT WERE ENACTED AFTER SHORT-TERM RENTALS WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE CITY AND DESIGNED TO PHASE THEM OUT.
THE SECOND AUSTIN CASE IS NING VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN.
THIS CASE IS BASICALLY A POSTLUDE TO THE ZARI CASE.
AFTER ZARI AUSTIN STOPPED ISSUING TIED TO NON-OWNER OCCUPIED SINGLE FAMILY LICENSES, AUSTIN CLAIMED THAT THE ZARI DECISION WAS NARROW AND ONLY APPLIED TO OWNERS WHO HAD STR LICENSES IN 2016.
THE CORE OUTCOME SIMILAR TO THE OTHER AUSTIN CASE, MADE IT CLEAR THAT AUSTIN'S STR ORDINANCE PROHIBITING NON-OWNER OCCUPIED SDRS WAS UNCON UNCONSTITUTIONALLY RETROACTIVE AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT KINDS OF HOMEOWNERS WHEN REGULATING SHORT TERM RENTALS.
CITY VERSUS ARLINGTON ON THE RIGHT CASE.
YES, THE CITY OF ARLINGTON VERSUS DRAPER CASE
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IS A UNIQUE CASE THAT SURVIVED COURT CHALLENGE, LIKELY BECAUSE OF ALL THE DATA COLLECTED BY ARLINGTON AFTER AN EXTENSIVE TWO YEAR STUDY, WHICH CONSISTED OF HIRING CONSULTANTS AND MAP DISTRIBUTIONS OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS.ARLINGTON PASSED TWO ORDINANCES, AN SDR ORDINANCE THAT LIMITED SDRS TO AN STR ZONE AND MEDIUM AND HIGHER DENSITY RESIDENTIAL LOCATIONS.
AND AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE OPERATION OF SDRS INCLUDING PROOF OF INSURANCE, HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTION, OCCUPANCY LIMITATIONS, AMPLIFIED SOUND RESTRICTIONS, AND TRASH REGULATIONS.
SO THE DATA THAT ARLINGTON COLLECTED REVEALED THAT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY'S SDRS WERE LOCATED NEAR THE SDR ZONE OR THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT WITH FACILITIES LIKE THEIR BALLPARK AND THEME PARKS ARE LOCATED.
HOMEOWNERS CLAIM THE ORDINANCE ORDINANCES VIOLATED THEIR DUE COURSE OF LAW, EQUAL PROTECTION AND FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT UNDER THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION.
THE APPELLATE COURT ULTIMATELY DENIED HOMEOWNERS CLAIMS AND FOUND THAT THE CITY BASED ON THE DATA COLLECTED, HAS SHOWN THAT PROTECTING THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER OF LOW DENSITY NEIGHBORHOODS TO COMBAT PROBLEMS AND FIGHTS, UM, PROBLEMS LIKE FIGHTS BY SDR TENANTS, PARTIES, NOISE COMPLAINTS, PARKING ISSUES, PUBLIC URINATION, AND THE PROLIFERATION OF TRASH WAS RATIONALLY RELATED TO A LEGITIMATE PURPOSE OF THE CITY'S ORDINANCE.
OUR LAST CASE IS ONE OF THE MORE RECENT TEXAS CASES THAT'S STILL PENDING IN COURT.
DALLAS PASSED AN STR ORDINANCE IN 2023, WHICH ATTEMPTED TO BAN ALL STRS IN SINGLE FAMILY ZONES AND IMPOSED OPERATION RESTRICTIONS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS, INCLUDING DENSITY LIMITATIONS ON MULTI-FAMILY BUILDINGS.
FOR EXAMPLE, A MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING WITH 20 RENTABLE UNITS OR LESS CANNOT RENT OUT ANY UNITS.
PLAINTIFFS FELL SUIT CLAIMING MANY CHALLENGES INCLUDING RETROACTIVITY, TAKINGS AND DUE COURSE CLAIMS. LONG STORY SHORT, THE TRIAL COURT STOPPED ENFORCEMENT OF DALLAS'S SHORT-TERM ORDINANCE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY PENDING APPEAL.
HERE ARE SOME OTHER RELEVANT CASES AFFECTING THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL LANDSCAPE, LEGAL LANDSCAPE.
AND I'LL JUST QUICKLY MENTION THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THESE CASES BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE SPENT SOME TIME ON THE OTHER CASES HINO STARK VERSUS OF NEW ORLEANS.
UH, THE KEY TAKEAWAYS THAT NEW ORLEANS RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT BANNING NON-RESIDENT OWNERS WERE DISCRIMINATORY AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN BROWNING VERSUS TOWN OF HOLLYWOOD PARK.
THE TRIAL COURT TEMPORARILY ENJOIN DURING LITIGATION HOLLYWOOD PARKS STR ORDINANCE BANNING STR ANYWHERE IN TOWN AFTER PLAINTIFFS CLAIMED IT TO BE RETROACTIVE LAW.
ALSO, PRIOR TO THE ORDINANCE PASSING THE HOMEOWNERS NORTHERN GUESTS HAD EVER RECEIVED A NUISANCE COMPLAINT OR CITATION FROM THE TOWN.
AS OF THIS WRITING, THE TRIAL DATE IS SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 24TH, 2025 MARFA VERSUS CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS, IN THIS CASE A FIFTH CIRCUIT.
US COURT OF APPEALS REVERSE THE FEDERAL COURT BY ALLOWING YOU BRAUNFELS SHORT TERM RENTAL BAN TO PROCEED TO TRIAL, ESSENTIALLY FORCING THE CITY TO DEMONSTRATE RATIONAL BASIS FOR ITS STR REGULATIONS, WHICH IT CLAIMS WERE NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT SHORT TERM RENTALS DON'T CREATE ADVERSE IMPACTS TO RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS DUE TO TRAFFIC NOISE AND DENSITY.
TRIAL IS PENDING IN FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT IN WACO.
AND IN OUR LAST AND FINAL CASE THAT WE'LL DISCUSS CRYSTAL CRUZ INVESTMENTS VERSUS CITY OF DICKINSON, THIS IS A MORE RECENT RULING.
IN JANUARY, 2024, THE TRIAL COURT FOUND DICKINSON DICKINSON'S 2022 SDR ORDINANCE PROHIBITING SDRS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS WITHOUT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
AS OF THIS PRESENTATION, THERE'S A HEARING SCHEDULED TO MAKE THIS RULING FINAL JUDGMENT AND THE CITY HAS NOT APPEALED THE COURT'S RULING AS OF THIS WRITING.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE CASES OF, OF TEXAS.
ALRIGHT, DID THAT, DOES THAT INCLUDE YOUR PRESENTATION GENTLEMEN? YES.
SO WE'LL MOVE NOW TO SOME, UH, UH, QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF AND I'LL START.
AND SO TO SUMMARIZE FOR THE PRESENTATION, THE FOLLOWING CITIES HAVE TRIED TO BAN AND
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WHOLE OR IN PARK SHORT TERM RENTALS AND HAD THEIR ORDINANCES OVERTURNED TIKI ISLAND, GRAPEVINE, AUSTIN, NEW ORLEANS, HOLLYWOOD PARK, AND DICKINSON.DALLAS'S ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY ENJOYED IN DALLAS.
SO, SO WHEN A COURT FINDS THAT A TAKING HAS OCCURRED, WHAT, WHAT IS THE REMEDY OF THE SUING PARTY OR THE HOMEOWNER IS ENTITLED TO? WELL, I THINK AT, AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT, WHAT HAS OCCURRED IS THAT THE COURTS HAVE FOUND THAT THERE WAS A TAKING A REGULATORY TAKING.
AND SO IT'S ENJOINED THE ENFORCEMENT OF ALL OF THESE ORDINANCES.
SO IN THOSE INSTANCES, UNTIL THERE'S A TRIAL ON THE MERITS, PEOPLE CAN CONTINUE TO USE THEIR PROPERTIES AS SHORT-TERM RENTALS, WHICH MEANS PROVIDING A LEASE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT PROPERTY FOR VARYING LENGTHS OF TIME.
SO, SO IF, IF A COURT FINDS A TAKING HAS TAKEN PLACE, THEN UH, FURTHER ENFORCEMENT OF THAT PARTICULAR ORDINANCE IS, IS STOPPED, IS ENJOINED, IS THAT RIGHT? EFFECTIVELY, YES.
IN OTHER CONTEXTS, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT TAKES SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY, WHAT DOES THE GOVERNMENT THEN HAVE TO DO, UH, WITH REGARD TO THAT PROPERTY OWNER PROVIDE ADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE PROPERTY? SO IF, IF THE GOVERNMENT TAKES PROPERTY BY IMMINENT DOMAIN FOR INSTANCE, THEN THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO COMPENSATE OR PAY THE PROPERTY OWNER FOR THE VALUE OF THAT PROPERTY, IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT.
BUT IN, IN REGARDING THESE STR ORDINANCES, UH, THE COURTS HAVE SIMPLY ENJOINED OR STOPPED ENFORCEMENT OF YES.
SO ARLINGTON, UH, TOOK SORT OF A DIFFERENT TACK, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR.
ARLINGTON, IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR PRESENTATION CORRECTLY, HAS BANNED OR PROHIBITED, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS OUTSIDE OF A PARTICULAR ZONE.
WHAT DID THEY DO DIFFERENTLY? WELL, I THINK ARLINGTON ACTUALLY HAS A COUPLE OF ZONES THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED WHERE SHORT-TERM RENTALS CAN'T OPERATE.
BUT I THINK WHAT DISTINGUISHES ARLINGTON FROM A LOT OF THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS IS THAT ARLINGTON TRULY DID ITS HOMEWORK.
UM, ARLINGTON WENT ABOUT STUDYING SHORT-TERM RENTALS FOR UPWARDS OF TWO YEARS.
THEY COLLECTED DATA UPON DATA UPON DATA AND THAT THEY TRULY TRIED TO SYNTHESIZE THAT DATA AND REALLY IDENTIFY WHERE THE PROBLEMS WERE AND WHERE THE PITFALLS WERE WITH SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND THEN TAILORED THEIR ORDINANCE TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
SO IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT A JURISDICTION COULDN'T TAILOR AN ORDINANCE TO IDENTIFY WHERE SHORT-TERM RENTALS CAN OR CANNOT OPERATE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF THE COURT'S RULINGS HAVE REALLY TURNED ON WHAT INFORMATION DID THOSE JURISDICTIONS TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AND HOW HAVE THEY TIED THEIR REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, YOU KNOW, TO THE EVILS, IF YOU WILL, THAT THEY PERCEIVED AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO ADDRESS.
AND I THINK ARLINGTON REALLY STOOD OUT FROM ALL THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT JUST SIMPLY TRIED TO SAY, WE'RE NOT DOING SHORT TERM RENTALS, WE DON'T WANT 'EM HERE, AND JUST SIMPLY BANNED THEM.
UM, IN LOOKING AT IT IN REVIEW, THAT WAS KIND OF FRANKLY THE DEATH NAIL TO THAT TYPE OF LITIGATION FROM INCEPTION.
AND I THINK ARLINGTON IS UNIQUE FROM A GEOGRAPHIC STANDPOINT IN THAT THE STUDY REVEALED THAT MOST OF THE, OR A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THEIR SHORT TERM RENTALS WERE LOCATED NEAR THIS ST R ZONE WHERE THEIR ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT IS LOCATED, LIKE THEIR BALLPARK BALLPARKS AND THEIR THEME PARK.
DOES, DOES ARLINGTON HAVE A ZONING ORDINANCE AS WELL? YES.
I, I THINK THAT'S THE, THE DISTINCTION TOO THAT MOST OF THESE OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAVE ZONING ORDINANCES AND EVEN THEN THEIR SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS WERE DEEMED TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.
OBVIOUSLY HOUSTON DOESN'T, DOESN'T HAVE THAT, THAT ADVANTAGE THAT EVEN THOSE JURISDICTIONS HAVE.
HOUSTON DOES NOT HAVE A ZONING ORDINANCE, ARLINGTON DOES.
SO IN ADDITION, SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WE USE HOUSTON'S EXISTING HOTEL ORDINANCE TO REGULATE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A BELIEF THAT THE HOTEL ORDINANCE CLEARLY APPLIES.
UM, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THAT IS THAT THE HOTEL ORDINANCE IS VERY PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT WHERE HO HOTELS CAN BE LOCATED.
IT HAS SPECIFIC LOCATION REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO IF THE CITY WERE TO ATTEMPT TO OVERLAY THE HOTEL ORDINANCE DIRECTLY ONTO SHORT-TERM RENTALS, PARTICULARLY ALL OF THOSE SHORT-TERM RENTALS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AWARE OF, THAT ARE LIKELY IN NEIGHBORHOODS OR IN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES, UM, THEY WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH THAT.
AND THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME THEN WOULD BE EFFECTIVELY WE BELIEVE A, A ILLEGAL CHALLENGE THAT ALLEGES THAT THE APPLICATION OF THAT ORDINANCE,
[00:30:01]
TWO SHORT-TERM RENTALS WOULD RESULT IN A REGULATORY TAKING JUST LIKE WE DESCRIBED IN SOME OF THE OTHER OTHER CASES.SO I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S A, NECESSARILY A PRODUCTIVE OUTCOME FOR THE CITY.
UM, I I THINK THE CITY WOULD BE BETTER POSITIONED IF IT TOOK A METHODOLOGY MORE LIKE ARLINGTON DID, WHERE IT REALLY STUDIED DATA THAT WAS AFFECTING ITS JURISDICTION AND THEN FRAMED REGULATIONS BASED OFF OF THAT INFORMATION THAT WOULD HAVE IN, IN OUR BELIEF, A MUCH BETTER, UH, PROBABILITY OF WITHSTANDING A CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE AS OPPOSED TO OVERLAYING THE HOTEL ORDINANCE TO INCLUDE ALL SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
AND AGAIN, I I LIKE TO BACK AWAY FROM THAT TERM, SHORT-TERM RENTAL AND JUST LOOK AT PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE LEASING THEIR PROPERTY, THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF TIME, UM, TO DIFFERENT TENANTS OR GUESTS OR WHATEVER THE TERM YOU, YOU YOU'D LIKE TO USE.
AND SO I I I DON'T THINK THAT APPLYING THE HOTEL ORDINANCE, UM, IS GOING TO YIELD THE RESULT THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK IT WILL.
AND IN FACT, UM, MY SUSPICION IS THAT IT WOULD ONLY INVITE LITIGATION, PERHAPS THE CITY'S HOTEL ORDINANCE WOULD BE ENJOINED FROM ENFORCEMENT, PARTICULARLY AS AGAINST THE SDRS.
AND SO WE'RE KIND OF RIGHT BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
SO YOU MENTIONED SOME RESTRICTIONS IN THE HOTEL ORDINANCE THAT, THAT THAT, UH, UH, NOT, WILL NOT ALLOW US TO USE IT TO REGULATE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
ARE YOU SPEAKING TO THE LOCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN THE HOTEL ORDINANCE? YES, SIR.
THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO TAKE PRIMARY ACCESS FROM AT LEAST ONE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT IF THAT WERE APPLIED TO ALL SHORT-TERM RENTALS OPERATING IN HOUSTON, THAT WOULD EFFECTIVELY KNOCK OUT OF THE BOX I WOULD IMAGINE A SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY OF, LET'S SAY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES, UM, THAT ARE OPERATED AS SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY, AGAIN, THAT COULD LEAD BACK TO LITIGATION WHERE A COURT MIGHT FIND THAT THAT WOULD BE A REGULATORY TAKEN, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE YOU HAVE PROPERTY THAT THAT ISN'T, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T HAVE ANY DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT SPEAK TO, UM, HOW LONG A A TENANCY OR LEASE CAN BE OR PROVIDE A MINIMUM, UM, DURATION OF HOW LONG THAT MUST BE IN ORDER TO LEASE THE PROPERTY.
AND IF I COULD JUST READ FROM PORTIONS OF THE HOTEL ORDINANCE, WHICH IS FOUND IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES ARTICLE SIX, SECTION 28 DASH 2 0 2, IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON TO CONSTRUCT ANY NEW HOTEL OR TO CONVERT ANY PREMISES FOR USE AS A HOTEL UNLESS THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS ARE MET.
ONE, THE TRACK ON WHICH THE HOTEL IS SITUATED SHALL HAVE DIRECT FRONTAGE ON AND TAKE PRIMARY ACCESS FROM A, AT LEAST ONE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE THAT IS NOT A RESIDENTIAL STREET B, THE RIGHT OF WAY OF A LIMITED ACCESS OR CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAY, OR THREE A STREET OR PORTION THEREOF THAT IS NOT A RESIDENTIAL STREET.
AND SO IS THAT ONE OF THE LOCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT MAKE THE HOTEL ORDINANCE NOT A GOOD METHOD TO REGULATE SHORT-TERM RENTALS? YES, SIR.
THE OUTCOME OF THE APPLICATION OF THOSE LOCATIONAL RESTRICTIONS ALONE, I WOULD IMAGINE PROBABLY KNOCK OUT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THESE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES USED AS SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
AND SO I THINK IT'S KIND OF A CIRCULAR ARGUMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, EXCUSE ME, APPLYING THAT ORDINANCE, UM, IS, IS A FIX.
UM, SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THAT ORDINANCE IN AND OF ITSELF IS, IS A BAN ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
UM, I I, I WOULD ARGUE THAT, HOWEVER, FOR THE CITY'S PURPOSES, THE APPLICATION OF THAT ORDINANCE IS TO, TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS IS ONLY GONNA PUT US IN THIS LOOP LIKE SO MANY OTHER CITIES WHERE ULTIMATELY LITIGATION ENSUES AND IT COULD BE FOUND TO BE A REGULATORY TAKING.
IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE HOTEL ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN TO KEEP HOTELS OUT OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO BAN A SHORT TERM RENTAL IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA BECAUSE IT CONSTITUTES A HOTEL, THEN DO WE, DO WE RUN AFOUL OF THE TAKINGS PROBLEM WITH THE, UH, UNDER THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION? I, I THINK THAT, AND I THINK ALSO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW TOO, AND, AND IT, AND WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IS IN THE CONTEXT OF DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT HAS ACTUALLY SAID ITSELF, IT HAS NOT SPOKEN DIRECTLY TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
UM, THEY'VE MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE PROPER CASE, UM, TO, TO REVIEW THAT MATTER.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO DEED RESTRICTIONS, IT IS ACTUALLY SAID THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT A SHORT TERM RENTAL IS IN FACT A HOTEL, UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING IN COVENANTS DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT IDENTIFIES SOME, YOU KNOW, MINIMUM DURATION REQUIREMENT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, A, A SHORT-TERM TENANCY AND A LONG-TERM TENANCY.
SO THAT'S WHY I TRY TO BACK AWAY FROM THAT TERM SHORT-TERM RENTAL AND LOOK AT IT FROM A VERY BASIC PREMISE OF PROPERTY RIGHTS, UM, PRIVATE
[00:35:01]
PROPERTY RIGHTS AND YOUR ABILITY TO LEASE YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTY, PERHAPS FOR, FOR DIFFERENT TERMS. NOW, IF, IF A NEIGHBORHOOD DOES HAVE PRESCRIBED DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE VERY SPECIFIC, UM, AND, AND SPEAK TO HOW LONG A TENDENCY MUST BE OR WHAT THE MINIMUM AMOUNT IS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ENFORCED, BUT THAT'S A DEED RESTRICTION APPLIED TO THAT PARTICULAR AREA.SO SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IF IF A NEIGHBORHOOD WANTED TO BAN COMPLETELY AS SHORT TERM RENTALS, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SO THROUGH, UH, UM, CHANGING THE DEED RESTRICTIONS ON THE PROPERTIES IN THAT AREA.
I, I, I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST, MOST DIRECT WAY TO GET TO THE HEART OF AN ISSUE IN A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF THEY HAVE EXISTING DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT SPECIFICALLY SPEAK TO IT, TO IT, OR IF THEY'RE ABLE TO CREATE DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT SPECIFICALLY SPEAK TO IT, THAT MAY BE A REMEDY.
AND, UH, I DON'T WANT TO JUMP THE GUN AND GET INTO THE SECOND PRESENTATION WE'RE GONNA HEAR, BUT BUT HAS THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, THOUGHT ABOUT GATHERING DATA AND EVIDENCE SO THAT, UH, SOME SORT OF REGULATORY FRAMEWORK CAN BE APPLIED TO SHORT TERM RENTALS? YES, SIR.
I, I, I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEGUN THAT PROCESS.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN TO, AND I, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OR A RA, BUT I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO TRACK THE MODEL THAT WE SEE WITH THE CITY OF ARLINGTON TO KIND OF COMPILE THAT DATA.
BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU IN IN THE COURT'S OPINIONS, UH, IN THE ARLINGTON CASE, THE COURT ROUTINELY WENT FROM EACH CLAIM THAT WAS ALLEGED BY THE PLAINTIFFS BACK TO THE DATA THAT THE CITY OF ARLINGTON WAS ABLE TO SHOW TO SUBSTANTIATE AND PROVIDE THAT RATIONAL BASIS FOR ITS REGULATIONS.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA GO TO QUESTION MEMBER, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND WE'LL START WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
IS THIS, UH, IS YOUR PRESENTATION EXHAUSTIVE OF ALL THE LAWS IN TEXAS, OF ALL THE, OF ALL THE REGULATIONS ON SHORT TERM RENTALS IN TEXAS OR JUST ONES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WENT TO COURT? RIGHT.
WE, WE FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, THE LITIGATION.
THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED SHORT-TERM LEGAL REGULATIONS.
AND THEN SAN ANTONIO DOES ONE WHERE THEY, THEY LIMIT ON THE BLOCK FACE HOW MANY CAN BE.
THEY HAVE ONE THAT WHERE YOU CAN LIMIT HOW MANY IN A, IN A MULTIFAMILY UNIT.
FREDERICKSBURG HAS SOME FORT WORTH HAS SOME, SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT WAYS.
THESE ARE KIND, THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF, OF A, OF A FULL ON BAN TO CORRECT.
UM, BACK TO THE HOTEL THING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, AND THEN WE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTH THROUGH MANY PUBLIC SESSIONS LAST TIME, AND LOOKING AT CHAPTER 28, THE WAY IT'S DEFINED, AND I THINK WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE HOTEL ORDINANCE, IT WASN'T ABOUT EVERY SINGLE, UH, EVERY SINGLE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
IT WAS ABOUT THESE BUILDINGS, THESE APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT HAVE POPPED UP IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SOMEBODY COMES IN AND BUYS AND THEY'RE NO LONGER RENTED OUT.
I MEAN, THEY ARE, I FEEL LIKE THEY MEET THE DEFINITION OF HOTEL, WHICH IS ANY BUILDING OR BUILDINGS IN WHICH THE PUBLIC MAY OBTAIN TRANSIENT SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS.
THE TERM SHALL INCLUDE HOTELS, MOTEL SUITES, HOTELS, TOURIST HOMES, HOUSES OR COURTS, LODGING HOUSES, ENDS ROOMING HOUSES OR OTHER BUILDINGS WHERE TRANSIENT ROOMS ARE FURNISHED FOR CONSIDERATION, FOR A CONSIDERATION.
I MEAN, THEY ARE TRANSIENT ROOMS. SOME OF THESE, THEY'RE IN THERE FOR 10 HOURS AND OUT, YOU KNOW, THE IN AND OUT OF THESE PLACES.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE HOTEL ORDINANCE APPLYING, I DON'T THINK WE MEANT THAT CITYWIDE ON EVERY SHORT TERM RENTAL.
I THINK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE, YOU KNOW, APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT WERE FULLY PURCHASED BY SOMEBODY AND THEN TURNED INTO, BASICALLY TURNED INTO, UH, HOTELS.
SO I STILL, I I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE GONNA END UP IN COURT OVER THAT, BUT I, I, I THINK THAT'S STILL A, A A AND I, I'VE TAUGHT HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH ARTURO MICHELLE, THE CITY ATTORNEY, ABOUT THIS STILL WORTH EXPLORING IF, IF IT COULD BE FOR THOSE TYPE, UH, THOSE TYPE OF BUILDINGS, NOT THE, NOT THE TOWNHOUSE OR THE, OR THE, UM, OR THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME, BUT THE APARTMENT BUILDING THAT NOT ONLY TURNS INTO THIS LIKE FLOP HOUSE, BUT IS ALSO, UH, TAKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OFF OF THE HOUSTON MARKET.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A COMMENT REALLY, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WEREN'T, THIS WASN'T EXHAUSTIVE.
I KNOW WE HAVE TOUGH PROPERTY RIGHTS LAWS IN TEXAS, BUT SOME CITIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REGULATING, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER OUTSIDE OF AN, AN OUTRIGHT BAN.
UH, FOLLOWING UP ON CHAIR, RAMIREZ'S LAST QUESTION ABOUT, UM, HAS THE ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, UM, THINGS IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ARLINGTON WAS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THEY HAD ALL THE DATA AND IT TOOK THEM TWO YEARS, BUT WE HAVE A PROBLEM NOW AND WE WE CAN'T WAIT TWO YEARS.
SO ARE THERE EXAMPLES OF OTHER CITIES, WHETHER IN TEXAS OR NOT IN TEXAS, THAT HAVE USED HISTORICAL DATA, LIKE CALLS FOR SERVICE, THINGS
[00:40:01]
LIKE THAT TO BE ABLE TO POINT TO AN ORDINANCE, UM, AND BE SUCCESSFUL THAT WAY? YEAH, I, I, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT ARLINGTON WAS THE ONLY CITY THAT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT DOING THAT.AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IN THE SECOND PRESENTATION, THAT THE, THE CITY REALLY IS TRYING TO FAST TRACK THIS SO WE CAN COME UP WITH THE RELEVANT DATA AND PRESCRIBE THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT WE THINK WILL BE MOST SUCCESSFUL HERE.
I ALSO THINK, FRANKLY, THE CITY IS LOOKING AT THIS AS A CONTINUUM, AS A PHASED APPROACH.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE THE CITY MIGHT CONSIDER ADOPTING, UM, JUST ONE SET OF REGULATIONS AND THAT IS IT.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A PHASED APPROACH WHERE THE CITY IS GONNA CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE DATA, SEE HOW THE DATA MATURES, UM, SEE THE INFORMATION THAT COMES INTO THE CITY ONCE A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IS STOOD UP, AND THEN THE ORDINANCE CAN BE TWEAKED FROM THAT POINT MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO, DO YOU KNOW OF ANY CITIES THAT HAVE USED HISTORICAL DATA TO KIND OF PROVE THE SAME THING THAT ARLINGTON SHOWED? UM, I, I THINK MOST OF THEM HAVE DONE THAT.
I KNOW SOME OF THE COLLEAGUES THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH IN SAN ANTONIO ABOUT THEIR ORDINANCE DIRECTLY SPOKE TO THAT ISSUE THAT YES, SAN ANTONIO NOT ONLY HAS ALREADY ADOPTED AN SDR ORDINANCE, BUT HAS SINCE AMENDED IT AS WELL BASED ON SOME OF THE OTHER DATA IT HAD ONCE IT ADOPTED ITS ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
SO YES, SAN ANTONIO IS JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES OF THE CITY CITIES THAT HAVE TAKEN THEIR TIME AND, AND REALLY GONE THROUGH AND COLLECTED THEIR DATA AND THEN ACTED AS OPPOSED TO A LOT OF THE OTHER CITIES WE'VE TRIED TO DEMONSTRATE WHERE THEY'VE JUST SIMPLY SAID, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT HERE AND WE SEE THE OUTCOME.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT SLIDE 13 WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CRYSTAL CRUZ INVESTMENTS CASE, UM, THE TAKEAWAY, IT'S THE VERY LAST ONE.
IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF DICK DICKINSON'S, STR ORDINANCE, PROHIBITING STR AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS WITHOUT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WAS ON CONSTITUTIONAL.
WOULD THERE BE A DISTINCTION IF IT WASN'T JUST RESIDENTIAL AREAS, IF THEY JUST SAID ALL STR NEED TO GET A PERMIT? UM, DO YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE A LEGAL DISTINCTION THERE? IT, IT, UH, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT QUESTION ONE MORE TIME? WOULD THERE BE A, A DISTINCTION? SO THIS DISTINCTION BECAUSE DICKINSON, THEIR STR ORDINANCE PROHIBITED STR IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS WITHOUT A PERMIT.
THEY SAID THAT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
IF THEY JUST SAID ALL AREAS, THEY DIDN'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND NON-RESIDENTIAL.
IF THEY JUST SAID ALL AREAS ALL STR NEED A PERMIT.
WOULD WOULD THAT BE A PERSUASIVE LEGAL DISTINCTION IN YOUR OPINION OR NO? NO, I THINK IT WOULD END UP WITH THE SAME UNCONSTITUTIONAL RETROACTIVITY AND REGULATORY TAKING CLAIMS. OKAY.
THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER, UM, TO SHOW HOW COMPLEX IT IS TO SOLVE THIS, BUT I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S A COMPLEX ISSUE HERE, BUT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR MANY YEARS NOW.
SO WHAT IS THE TIMELINE MOVING FORWARD FOR A SOLUTION? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THERE'S DATA THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE COLLECTED, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN AT THIS POINT MANY TIMES WHERE THE ANSWER HAS BEEN, WELL, WE STILL HAVE TO GET MORE INFORMATION.
SO WHERE ARE WE WITH GOING FORWARD WITH AN ACTUAL SOLUTION HERE? I THINK THAT ANSWER MIGHT BE PROVIDED IN THE NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN, BUT I KNOW THAT THE CITY IS TRULY FAST TRACKING THIS ISSUE AND TRYING TO GET AHEAD, AHEAD OF IT.
SO FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S PERSPECTIVE THOUGH, ARE YOU ACTIVELY WORKING ON LOOKING AT ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT COULD AT SOME POINT COME TO COUNSEL? YES.
I THINK, ARE WE AT THAT POINT THAT YOU GUYS ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW? YES.
AND, AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS VERY WELL AWARE OF WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE AND WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT MODELS, UM, OF HOW TO REGULATE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
BUT I THINK WE'RE ALSO, UH, WAITING FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND, AND A RA TO COME FORWARD WITH THAT DATA THAT STEERS THE DIRECTION OF THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS? IF NOT, WE WILL, UH, GO TO STAFF.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM STAFF? OKAY.
WELL THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FROM LEGAL AND WE'LL MOVE TO OUR SECOND PRESENTATION OF THE AFTERNOON.
SO WE'LL WELCOME, UH, TINA PAEZ, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, UH, AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR CATHERINE BRUNING.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN HEAR YOU? UH, WAITING FOR THE PRESENTATION TO LOAD TO LOAD.
[00:45:16]
IS IT COMING? OKAY, THERE WE ARE.SO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT SPOKE A LOT TO DATA AND THE NECESSITY OF IT AND THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS FOLLOWING A VERY DATA DIFFERENT APPROACH.
AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR WHITMEYER IS VERY INTO NOT JUST PRESENTING A REGULATION TO EVERYONE WITHOUT ANY BACKING FOR IT.
SO WE HIRED A THIRD PARTY COMPANY TO GO OUT AND DO DATA MINING FOR US.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE TIMING OF WHEN THIS WAS FIRST REQUESTED FROM COUNCIL LAST YEAR AND FROM THE ADMINISTRATION LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, MAYOR WAT WHITMEYER IMMEDIATELY.
AND SO I, I'M HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE, UH, UNDERSTANDING.
SO WE HIRED A THIRD PARTY VENDOR TO DO WHAT, AND YOU CAN CONTINUE AFTER THAT TO DO THAT DATA MINING, SIR.
AND I'LL GO THROUGH THAT SHORTLY.
UM, BUT MAYOR WHITMEYER DID FAST TRACK THIS, WHICH IS WHY HE GAVE US THE DIRECTIVE TO DO THIS IN APRIL BY MAY A COMPANY HAD ACTUALLY BEEN HIRED TO BEGIN DOING THE DATA MINING TO SUPPORT ANY REGULATIONS THAT WE'LL BE INTRODUCING.
SO WITH THAT, LET'S GO ON TO SLIDE NUMBER TWO AND BEGIN.
SO I PROVIDED THIS TIMELINE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE SEEN AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INTRODUCTION THAT YOU GAVE ABOUT THE MEMO LAST SPRING BY COUNCIL MEMBERS ALCORN AND PECK BECAUSE THAT INFORMS WHAT HAPPENED THIS TIME.
REMEMBER THERE WERE THREE MAIN QUESTIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT MEMO.
THE FIRST ONE WAS ASKING THE ADMINISTRATION TO CONSIDER A REGULATORY PROCESS JUST TO HELP US IDENTIFY WHO THE OWNERS OF THESE PROPERTIES WERE AND WHAT THE LOCATIONS OF THOSE PROPERTIES WERE.
AND WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED TO BRING YOU BACK AN ORDINANCE THIS FALL THAT DOES JUST THAT.
AT A VERY MINIMUM, IT WILL REQUIRE THEM TO REGISTER TO IDENTIFY THE PROPERTY WITH SOME SPECIFICITY BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE THOSE ACTUAL ADDRESSES, YOU CAN START TO TRACK POLICE AND 3 1 1 CALLS TO THOSE SPECIFIC ADDRESSES.
THE THE SECOND QUESTION THAT WAS RAISED WAS ABOUT THOSE APARTMENT UNITS THAT ARE BEING USED AS HOTELS AND WHAT TOOLS CAN ADDRESS THOSE.
WE'VE HEARD FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT THAT THE HOTEL ORDINANCE IS NOT AN OPTION FOR THAT, BUT I THINK THAT YOU WANTED TO PUT A PIN IN THAT ANSWER.
SO THAT QUESTION IS STILL OUTSTANDING.
MEANWHILE, YOU WILL BE SEEING AN ORDINANCE THIS FALL, FALL AND WE WILL BEGIN THAT PROCESS.
MAINLY WHAT CATHERINE AND I ARE HERE TO DO TODAY IS TO PRESENT TO YOU WHAT IS WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR IN TERMS OF THE DATA AND THEN OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MAPS IN HERE.
THERE'S ONLY FOUR PAGES OF PRESENTATION AND THERE'S 43 PAGES WORTH OF MAPS FOR YOU.
SO GRANICUS IS ACTUALLY ONLINE.
I'M NOT A TECHNICAL PERSON, BUT I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO EXPLAIN WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
THEY RECEIVED THIS CONTRACT IN MAY.
BY JUNE, THEY HAD UPLOADED ALL OF THE HCA DATA FOR THE PARCELS THAT ARE LOCATED IN HOUSTON.
THERE'S ABOUT A MILLION PARCELS LOCATED WITHIN THE HOUSTON CITY LIMITS.
THEN THEY COMBED 70 STR PLATFORMS, WHICH IS MORE THAN 90% OF THE STR PLATFORMS THAT ARE POPULAR AND ARE USED INCLUDING VRBO AND AIRBNB.
THEY TOOK THE METADATA FROM THE DESCRIPTIONS IN THOSE PLATFORMS AND AND USED AI AND MACHINE LEARNING AS WELL AS HUMAN INTERVENTION TO GO THROUGH AND MATCH THOSE AGAINST ACTUAL ADDRESSES FOR THEM.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU GET AN AIRBNB ALL THAT, THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY WILL DO IS THEY'LL DROP A PIN SOMEWHERE, BUT UNTIL YOU START INTERACTING WITH THAT OWNER, YOU USUALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ADDRESS IS.
AND SO THEY CAN'T GO JUST FROM WHERE THE PINS ARE DROPPED AND FIGURED OUT WHERE THOSE ARE.
WE HAVE MAPPED AND THEY FOUND THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 11,000 OF THOSE IN HOUSTON AND THEY'VE MAPPED 'EM TO WHERE THOSE PINS ARE DROPPED, BUT THAT PIN MAY BE DROPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BAYOU OR THE MIDDLE OF A STREET OR AN EMPTY PARKING LOT.
SO THEN THEY HAD TO GO BACK USING THE METADATA, COMPARING PHOTOGRAPHS THAT USERS AND REVIEWERS LOOKED AT AND TOOK OF THAT PROPERTY.
THEY TOOK THE MEASUREMENTS FROM REVIEWS, A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE VIEW WAS FROM THE REVIEWS, MATCHING ALL OF THAT.
THEY'VE SO FAR BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY 2,900 WITH SPECIFICITY TO AN ACTUAL LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE TO A SPECIFIC POINT.
THERE'S ABOUT 7,600 THAT AS OF JULY 23RD, STILL NEEDED TO BE MAPPED.
SO THE MAPS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING TODAY INCLUDE SPECIFICITY ON THOSE 2,900 AS WELL AS THE REMAINING ABOUT 7,600 THAT NEED TO BE MAPPED THIS MORNING.
THEY TOLD US THEY'VE GONE EVEN FURTHER AND THEY'VE GOT ABOUT 4,800 THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED WITH SPECIFICITY SO FAR.
BUT THE ONES THAT ARE MAPPED HERE ARE AS OF JULY 23RD.
COULD BE BECAUSE WE HAD TO HAVE A CUTOFF DATE.
SO LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT? AS I SAID EARLIER TODAY, THIS WAS JUST, THIS IS JUST AN UPDATE TO TELL YOU WHERE WE ARE WITH THE DATA, BUT THE NEXT THING THAT WILL HAPPEN IS YOU'LL SEE THE ORDINANCE THAT'S COMING THIS FALL AND THEN
[00:50:01]
PART OF THAT ORDINANCE WILL NOT ONLY BE THE REGISTRATION TO ENSURE THAT WE GET SPECIFIC PROPERTY OWNER AND PARCEL DATA, BUT ALSO WE'LL GET FEEDBACK FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.CITY COUNCIL, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AND, AND SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU WANNA SEE IN THAT ORDINANCE.
THE STAKEHOLDERS HERE WHO ARE COMING UP TO SPEAK MAY GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE IN THAT ORDER, IN THAT ORDINANCE.
ALL OF THAT WILL BE PUT INTO WHATEVER YOU SEE THIS FALL.
AND AGAIN, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS.
THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE THE DATA IDENTIFICATION NOT ONLY THROUGH OCTOBER OR WHENEVER WE BRING THIS ORDINANCE BACK, BUT EVEN BEYOND THAT.
MEANWHILE, WHAT DO PEOPLE DO WHO FEEL LIKE THEY NEED A SOLUTION? RIGHT NOW, AS RASHAD SAID, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING THAT YOU CAN DO AS A PROPERTY OWNER RIGHT NOW IS UPDATE THE DEED RESTRICTIONS IN YOUR AREA.
OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO INCLUDE USING THE PLATFORM'S OWN CUSTOMER FEEDBACK AREAS.
AND WHAT WE'VE PUT ON THIS SLIDE IS A LINK TO THE ONE THAT AIRBNB HAS.
THEY TAKE CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY, NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY.
THEY'VE ALSO SET UP A SPECIAL PORTAL FOR HPD TO GET MORE DETAILED INVESTIGATIVE DATA IN THERE.
HPD IS ALLOWED TO GET OWNER DATA AND EVERYTHING ELSE FROM AIRBNB, BUT ONLY THROUGH THAT PORTAL AND IT'S RESTRICTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
BUT THERE ARE TOOLS OUT THERE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE NOW WHO BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE IN A POSITION WHERE THEY'RE REALLY SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AROUND THEM.
AND AS I SAID, THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION IS MAINLY MAPS.
THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND HPD WORKED WITH GRANICUS TO MAP ALL OF THE DATA WE'VE RECEIVED SO FAR.
I'M GONNA QUICKLY GO THROUGH ABOUT SEVEN OF THE MAPS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO SHOW YOU THE TYPE OF DATA WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MAP SHOWS YOU ALL OF THE STR IN HOUSTON.
THIS SAYS THE 2,900 THAT HAVE BEEN PRECISELY IDENTIFIED AS WELL AS THE 7,600 THAT WERE PINS THAT WERE DROPPED BY THE OWNERS.
THIS DOESN'T MAP, THIS MAP DOESN'T GIVE YOU A LOT OF DETAIL, BUT IT DOES GIVE YOU THE CONCENTRATION.
AND WHAT REALLY SURPRISED US WAS WE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE ONLY INSIDE THE LOOP, BUT WHEN WE SAW THIS MAP, WE REALIZED THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH SPREAD ALL OVER THE CITY.
THERE ARE CONCENTRATIONS, BUT EVEN IN THE MOST REMOTE SUBURBAN AREAS OF THE CITY, YOU DO SEE STRS.
THIS IS A DIFFERENT VIEW AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS MAP IS IT REALLY SHOWS YOU WHERE THE BIGGEST CONCENTRATION IS.
YOU SEE THAT GIANT BLOB IN THE MIDDLE WITH THE 2,506 STR.
AND THIS IS MY FAVORITE DISTRIBUTION MAP BECAUSE IT SHOWS YOU THE NUMBER OF STR PER SQUARE MILE, WHICH WAS VERY SURPRISING DATA.
THE MORE BURGUNDY RED THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IS THE HIGHEST CON CONCENTRATION PER SQUARE MILE.
AND IN THE APPENDIX WE'VE GIVEN YOU INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL DISTRICT MAPS SO THAT YOU CAN ZOOM IN ON THOSE BURGUNDY AREAS.
THIS IS AN OVERLAY OF 3 1 1 CALLS WITHIN 300 FEET OF THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
AND THIS IS ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY.
THIS IS, SO THIS IS ALL 10,545 THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
THIS SHOWS HPD SERVICE CALLS WITHIN 300 FEET OF SDR LOCATIONS.
YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY PLANNING CHOSE A 300 FOOT BUFFER AND THAT'S BECAUSE AS I TOLD YOU, 29 HAVE BEEN VERY SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED TO AN ADDRESS, A LATITUDE, LONGITUDE POINT, BUT THE OTHER 7,600 HAVEN'T.
AND SO PLANNING WANTED TO BE SURE AND PUT A BUFFER AROUND THESE SO THAT THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE CAPTURING THE SERVICE CALLS THAT WERE HAPPENING AROUND THOSE PROPERTIES.
SO THE MAPS ARE BLOBBY AND THEY'RE BIG BECAUSE HOUSTON COVERS A LARGE LAND AREA.
SO WE GAVE YOU THIS TABLE SO THAT WE WOULD BETTER SHOW YOU WHAT ALL OF THOSE DOTS IN THE OVERLAYS WERE SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU.
TO ME, WHAT'S MOST COMPELLING ABOUT THIS DATA IS THE NUMBER OF HPD CALLS AND 3 1 1 SERVICE CALLS IN DISTRICT C AND D.
THEY FAR OUTNUMBER ANYTHING ELSE IN THE CITY.
AND THAT TABLE ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE IS BORNE OUT BY THE SAME SORT OF PATTERN OF CALLS HERE.
THERE ARE 27 SPECIFIC STR THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IN THE MASS EMAILS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY COUNCIL, BY THE ADMINISTRATION, THE PUBLIC SESSION SPEAKERS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING OVER THE PAST YEAR TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ST.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SAME PATTERN APPLIES.
THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE COMING OUT OF DISTRICT'S D AND C.
BEFORE WE CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION, I WANNA WALK YOU THROUGH THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE PUT IN THIS APPENDIX FOR YOU.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE HAVE A CITYWIDE MAP THAT SHOWS YOU THE LAND USE OF THE 2,900 ST THAT HAVE BEEN SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED AND IT SHOWS YOU WHETHER THEY'RE SINGLE OR MULTIFAMILY, WHICH I THINK WILL BE HELPFUL AS YOU START TO LOOK AT REGULATIONS.
AND THEN WE'VE GIVEN YOU INFORMATION BY COUNCIL DISTRICT FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS A MAP OF COUNCIL DISTRICT A AND IT TELLS YOU THAT THERE ARE 454 STR AND COUNCIL DISTRICT A AND WITH AN AVERAGE OF 5.53 PER SQUARE MILE IN THAT
[00:55:01]
COUNCIL DISTRICT.YOU ALSO ARE GONNA HAVE AN OVERLAY ON THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWING YOU THE HPD CALLS IN COUNCIL DISTRICT DAY AROUND STR 1,695 ON THIS SLIDE.
AND THIS DATA IS FOR THIS PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.
SO THIS IS JULY 1ST, 2023 TO JUNE 30TH, 2024.
AND THEN THE NEXT MAP ON SLIDE 16 SHOWS YOU THE 3 1 1 CALLS.
AGAIN, SAME DATA FOR THE COUNCIL FOR COUNCIL DISTRICT A.
AND YOU HAVE THESE THREE MAPS FOR EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT HERE AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE 47 PAGES IN THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND THAT DOES CONCLUDE OUR PRESENTATION.
WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.
I CAN TELL YOU FOLKS HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK.
AND SO, UM, TO SUMMARIZE IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, UM, GRANITE HAS, HAS CHECKED 70 PLATFORMS, WHICH, UH, ARE USED BY SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES.
AND IDENTIFIED ALMOST 11,000 SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNITS WITHIN THE CITY.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GATHERING OUR EVIDENCE AND BUILDING OUR CASE WITH DATA.
IS THE IDEA THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE'VE COMPLETED OUR RESEARCH, WE WILL, UM, ENACT SOME SORT OF REGULATORY FRAMEWORK WHERE STR WILL, WILL, UH, HAVE TO GET A PERMIT OR BE LICENSED, IS THAT RIGHT? THEY HAVE TO BE REGISTERED REGISTER AND THAT WILL BE HAPPEN HAPPENING VERY SOON, REGISTERED.
AND ONCE THEY'RE REGISTERED, UM, WILL THERE, WILL YOU PROPOSE SOME MECHANISM BY WHICH IF WE TRACK THE NUMBER OF, UH, COMPLAINTS, INCIDENTS, WHAT HAVE YOU, UH, THAT THAT PERMITTING CAN BE YANKED? THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE REVOCATION.
UM, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN REGISTRATION ORDINANCES IS YOU MAY REVOKE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT INSURANCE, YOU MAY REVOKE BECAUSE THEY AREN'T PAYING THEIR HOT TAXES.
YOU MAY REVOKE BECAUSE OF CERTAIN NUISANCES, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE CAN PUT IN AN ORDINANCE IN OCTOBER BECAUSE FIRST WE HAVE TO HAVE WHERE THESE ARE WHO THE OWNERS ARE AND THEN WHAT COMES BEHIND THAT IS ALL OF THE SERVICE CALLS DIRECTED AT THE ADDRESSES.
SO IT WILL BE PHASED, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA BE SLOW.
ALRIGHT, SO AGAIN, IT'S GONNA BE A PROCESS.
AND WHATEVER FRAMEWORK IS PROPOSED AND PASSED WILL HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH, UH, THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION AND WHAT WHATEVER STATE STATUTES MIGHT APPLY.
ALRIGHT, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
NOW YOU STATED THAT, UH, 70 PLATFORMS AND ALMOST 11,000 HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
UM, IS IT ALSO LOOKING AT SITES LIKE TIKTOK, THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES? NO.
A MATTER OF FACT, I ASKED ABOUT CRAIGSLIST 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN RENTALS ON CRAIGSLIST.
AND WHAT THEY SAID IS THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ON THOSE SORT OF SOCIAL MEDIA SITES THAT IT DOESN'T PRODUCE ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY OF VALUE TO THE CITY.
AND WHAT YOU'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE IS A LOT OF THE MORE BOTTOM FEEDING PROPERTIES THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO COME TO STAY WILL NOT BE IN.
I MEAN, BECAUSE WE KNOW TYPICALLY WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTALS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE AIRBNB, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE VRBO.
AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE TYPICALLY THE GOOD ACTORS, RIGHT? THEY, THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE THESE NUISANCE PROPERTIES.
THEY DON'T WANT PEOPLE COMMITTING CRIMES AND THE PROPERTIES.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WORKING WITH COMPANIES LIKE THAT TO GET THE LISTINGS TAKEN OFF.
BUT WE ARE SEEING LISTINGS ON THINGS LIKE TIKTOK AND DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA SITES.
IS THERE A WAY TO GET A LIST BY COUNCIL DISTRICT? AND I KNOW NOT RIGHT NOW, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS, BUT IS THERE A WAY TO GET A LIST BY COUNCIL DISTRICT OF ALL THE ADDRESSES SO THAT WAY WHEN I SEE AN ADDRESS OFF OF TIKTOK OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE IT? OR IS THERE A WAY TO YES.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, UM, AS THESE ARE IDENTIFIED, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU MONTHLY OR HOWEVER, WHATEVER FREQUENCY OF LISTS THAT YOU WANT.
UM, I, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
UM, GOING INTO THE INDIVIDUAL SLIDES FOR EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT AND STRS ARE, ARE THOSE ALL IN? WELL, ARE, ARE YOU ABLE TO EX EXTRACT, UM, SOME THAT ARE MORE MULTI-FAMILY TYPE OF UNITS RATHER THAN JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL OR TOWN HOMES? ONCE THEY'RE IDENTIFIED SPECIFICALLY, LIKE THE 2,900 WE HAVE, UH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT CAN OVERLAY LAND USE.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT IT IS.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK IT WAS IN YOUR PRESENTATION AS WELL, WE, UH, SHARED AIRBNB, UM, AND AS COUNCILLOR HUFFMAN
[01:00:01]
SAID, THERE ARE SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, PLATFORMS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO GO TO AND YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA BE SAFE.AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I TAKE MY FAMILY, I WANNA MAKE SURE I, I READ ALL THE, YOU KNOW, REVIEWS AND WHATNOT.
UM, CAN YOU SHARE ANY OTHER PLATFORMS THAT WE CAN ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT OUT TO COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE REPORTING, HAVING THOSE REVIEWS OUT AS WELL? I'M SURE.
SO WE HAVE THE, THE LIST OF THE 70 PLATFORMS THAT THEY LOOKED AT, AND AS I SAID, THAT'S MORE THAN 90% OF THE PLATFORMS THAT ARE, THAT ARE CURRENTLY USED THAT ARE NOT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. SO WE CAN PROVIDE THAT TO ALL OF YOU.
I MEAN, WE, WE MET WITH A SIMILAR COMPANY WHEN WE WERE FIRST LOOKING INTO THIS AND I WAS LIKE, THE CITY HAS TO DO THIS AND I'M SO GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING THIS.
WE HAVE TO KNOW WHO THE OWNERS ARE, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHO WE KNOW THE BAD, BAD ACTORS ARE.
THE NUMBER OF HPD CALLS AND RESOURCES IS ASTOUNDING ON THESE PROPERTIES.
UH, I DEFINITELY WANNA HEAR FROM THE SPEAKERS ABOUT IDEAS OF WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE REGULATED, BUT OBVIOUSLY LIKE THE CHAIR AND OTHERS HAVE ADDRESSED, IT'S, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOME KIND OF, UH, DATA-DRIVEN.
THIS MANY CALLS FOR SERVICE, THIS MANY CITATIONS, THIS MANY, UM, INSTANCES OF, OF WREAKING HAVOC WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND YOU NO LONGER GET TO, YOU NO LONGER GET TO HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
AND THEN OF COURSE IT'LL BE A, A MATTER OF ENFORCEMENT AS WELL.
KIND OF LIKE WE'VE DONE ON NOISE AND, AND OTHER THINGS.
ONCE YOU GET TO SOME THRESHOLD, UH, YOU'RE OUT.
AND, UM, SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR THIS.
I DO WANNA SAY, UH, YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN DO NOW.
UM, ONE THING I WANNA SAY IS, UH, JUST IN ADDITION TO REPORTING TO WHATEVER PLATFORM, PLEASE REPORT WHATEVER TO US, REPORT IT TO 3 1 1 AND 9 1 1.
IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY, OF COURSE, AND I KNOW IT SEEMS FUTILE AND, YOU KNOW, DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME OR DO ANYTHING, REPORT IT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS OR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, OR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE HAVE A LIST IN OUR OFFICE OF THE WORST ONES OF ALL, 'CAUSE PEOPLE TELL US ABOUT 'EM, AND WE KEEP AN EYE ON 'EM, AND WE KEEP TRACK OF HOW MANY CITATIONS DATA IS EVERYTHING IN THIS GAME.
SO THE MORE YOU JUST REPORT, THE BETTER.
AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER, EVERY EMAIL THAT YOU GET THAT GETS DISTRIBUTED BACK TO US, WE KEEP A LIST OF AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, VICE CHAIR PECK.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS ON, ON A CHANGE, UM, FOR THE IMMEDIATE, UM, IMPACT RIGHT NOW FOR CHANGING DEED RESTRICTIONS.
I KNOW THE CITY DOESN'T REALLY GET INVOLVED IN A LOT OF DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO AS THE CITY TO HELP PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR DEED RESTRICTIONS SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A NEW ORDINANCE TO TAKE EFFECT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MONTHS OF, OF BACK AND FORTH AND ISSUING CITATIONS BEFORE ANYTHING ACTUALLY GETS DONE? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE DEED RESTRICTIONS? WHETHER THAT'S PROVIDING LANGUAGE TO THEM OR HELPING THEM FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO GO ABOUT, UM, LIKE WHAT STEPS TO TAKE TO CHANGE THEIR DEED RESTRICTIONS? I'LL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUES IN LEGAL FOR THAT.
'CAUSE THAT'S, I THINK A CHAPTER TWO 12 ITEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF, ARE THEY STILL HERE? YES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE THE, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT DOES PUT ON SOME LIGHT WORKSHOPS DEALING WITH DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT ULTIMATELY, CHANGES TO DEED RESTRICTIONS ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO BE HANDLED BY THE, THE HOMEOWNERS AND, AND WE CAN'T PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO THEM.
UM, THERE ARE INSTANCES WHEN THE CITY CAN CERTAINLY ENFORCE CERTAIN DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT AS FAR AS WRITING THOSE DEED RESTRICTIONS FOR THEM, THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT CAN PARTICIPATE IN.
WELL, I THINK IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT FROM THE CITY THAT WE CAN DO, UM, I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT WITH DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT WE CAN'T AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T GET INVOLVED IN, BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO JUST ASSIST NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THAT, UM, EVEN LIKE YOU SAID, THE WORKSHOPS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT WE CAN AT LEAST SHOW THEM WHAT PROCESS THEY NEED TO TAKE TO MAKE THIS CHANGE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE IT, IT GETS VERY CONFUSING SOMETIMES.
YOU KNOW, WHAT STEPS PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE TO MAKE THAT CHANGE.
I'LL CERTAINLY TAKE THAT BACK TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
CAN I JUST FOLLOW UP ON THAT, UH, RASHAD? YES, SIR.
SO WITH REGARD TO ENFORCING DEED RESTRICTIONS, WHETHER OR NOT OUR CITY LEGAL CAN ENFORCE DEED RESTRICTIONS, UH, REGARDING PRIVATE PROPERTY IS REGULATED BY STATE LAW, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT, THAT IS TRUE.
AND, AND I BELIEVE IT'S CHAPTER TWO 12 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SPEAKS TO WHAT THE CITY CAN GET INVOLVED WITH WITH RESPECT TO DEED RESTRICTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE TWO 12.
AND SO THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF SITUATIONS IN WHICH CITY LEGAL CAN ENFORCE DEED RESTRICTIONS, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING SHORT-TERM RENTALS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS CURRENTLY.
IS THAT RIGHT? NO, NOT, NOT BROADLY, SIR.
SO, SO IN ORDER TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR CITY
[01:05:01]
LEGAL TO ENFORCE, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTAL IN DEED RESTRICTIONS WOULD TAKE, UH, A CHANGE IN STATE LAW? IS THAT RIGHT? I THINK TO ADDRESS IT DIRECTLY, YES.IT WOULD TAKE A CHANGE IN STATE LAW TO SPECIFICALLY GIVE CITIES THAT AUTHORITY.
AND IN TURN, I THINK NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BEST POSITIONED IF THEY CAN AMEND THEIR OWN DEED RESTRICTIONS TO SPECIFICALLY SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE.
AND THEN DEPENDING ON WHAT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS SAY, AND I'M, I'M NOT A PROPERTY ATTORNEY, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME WIGGLE ROOM FOR THE CITY TO ENFORCE CERTAIN DEED RESTRICTIONS, NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTLY ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTALS AS WE, WE HEAR THE TERM GLOBALLY, BUT ABOUT THE DISCUSSION ABOUT RESIDENTIAL USE AND WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT GRANULAR, BUT IT'S, I'M KEYING OFF OF THE LANGUAGE IN CHAPTER TWO 12 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
AND JUST A COMMENT TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S COMMENT ABOUT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS.
OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT NOT ALL NEIGHBORHOODS IN HOUSTON HAVE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, BUT I DO HAVE SOME LANGUAGE THAT, UH, WE'VE PROVIDED TO OTHER HOAS.
UM, IF THEY WANNA UPDATE THEIR OA BYLAWS, UM, OR WHATNOT, I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU AND ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TOO.
IT'S JUST KIND OF A STARTING POINT FOR NEIGHBORS TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
WE'LL NOW GO TO SOME STAFF, UH, QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CAYMAN STAFF.
UM, FIRST I DID WANNA SHARE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER APPRECIATES ALL THE WORK, UM, GOING INTO THIS AND THE CHAIR FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, SHE RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF HOME RENTALS TO THE ECONOMY AND THE FAMILIES IN THE DISTRICT AS A SOURCE OF INCOME OVERALL.
IT'S A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF BAD ACTORS, UM, BUT THESE BAD ACTORS POSE A SIGNIFICANT STRAIN ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CREATE NOT JUST A NUISANCE, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY RISK, INCLUDING ABUSES AND TRAFFICKING.
UM, I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK THE RESIDENTS FOR COMING, UM, FROM DISTRICT C WHEN THEY SPEAK FOR WORKING WITH THEIR OFFICE.
UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER ASKED ME TO PERSONALLY RECOGNIZE Y'ALL AS WE WOULD, UH, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY WITHOUT RESIDENTS AND THE DEPARTMENTS WORKING WITH US ON THIS.
IT MAY BE FOR LEGAL OR A RA, BUT, UM, CAN YOU SHARE AGAIN, WHY WE CAN'T U UH, UTILIZE THE HOTEL ORDINANCE AND WHY THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, RENTALS DON'T QUALIFY FOR ENFORCEMENT WHEN THE ABUSE AMOUNTS TO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO A HOTEL OR OTHER PARAMETERS LAID OUT ON IT? I'LL DEFER TO RASHAD.
SO, AS RASHAD MENTIONED EARLIER, THE, THE CITY'S HOTEL ORDINANCE CONTAINS GEOGRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS AND LOCATION REQUIREMENTS THAT MANDATE WHERE A HOTEL MAY BE LOCATED, AND SDRS, OR MOST SDRS, OR IF NOT ALL SDRS, WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS, WHICH WOULD EFFECTIVELY, EFFECTIVELY BAN THEM AS SHORT TERM RENTALS.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS.
UM, ALSO, UM, TINA, FOR THE
HOW CRITICAL IS HPD CALL DATA TO MOVING FORWARD? UH, UH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO SAY HOW MUCH THAT WILL INFORM IT.
OBVIOUSLY, HPD DATA IS A LOT OF THE NUISANCES THAT THE NEIGHBORS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT AND THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT RIGHT.
NOISE, UM, ALL SORTS OF VIOLATIONS ON PROPERTY.
BUT THE 3 1 1 CALLS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT.
PARKING VIOLATIONS HAVE HAVE BEEN LIKE THE THIRD LARGEST AREA OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVED.
SO, SO IN TERMS OF, IS, IS ONE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHER? I THINK THAT THEY BOTH WILL FEED INTO WHATEVER REGULATIONS ARE, ARE CREATED.
I WANT TO NOTE THAT STAFF FROM A COUPLE OF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS JOINED, HAVE JOINED ONLINE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FLICKINGER REP IS HERE, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S.
AND WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER STAFF, HOWDY THE, THIS QUESTION'S FOR THE LEGAL TEAM.
UM, IN REFERENCE TO THE CASES THAT YOU RESEARCHED, DID ANY OF THE CITIES OR MUNICIPALITIES GO ABOUT A METHOD, UH, OUTSIDE OF LEGISLATING ORDINANCES TO, UM, TO BAN THE SHORT TERM RENTALS EFFECTIVELY WITH A, WITH A TAX METHOD INSTEAD? A TAX
[01:10:01]
OR A FEE AND TIED TO SOME SORT OF, UM, ITEMS IN THE LEASING AGREEMENTS? I, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY CASES WHERE A CITY HAS ATTEMPTED THAT.UM, YOU, YOU SAID YOU MENTIONED USING TAXES TO, UH, TO TAX SHORT TERM RENTALS, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? AS A METHOD? YEP.
LIKE AS A REGULATORY, LIKE A FEE, A FEE FOR LEASES UNDER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
YEAH, I'M, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CASES WHERE A LEASE, UH, CONTAINED THAT TYPE OF PROVISION.
ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER OR STAFF? YES, SIR.
I THINK MY QUESTION'S MORE APPROPRIATE TO, UH, UM, TO LEGAL.
UM, BASICALLY WHAT I'M HEARING LEGAL SAY IS THAT IF WE SET UP ANY, THE CITY WAS TO SET UP ANY KIND OF ORDINANCES OR WHATNOT, WE BETTER HAVE OUR DUCKS IN A ROW.
AND IT, FROM WHAT THE DATA THEY'VE GIVEN, IT SEEMS THAT ONLY ARLINGTON HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL.
HOWEVER, UM, EVEN WITH THE DATA THAT WE'RE COLLECTING AND WHATNOT, UM, AND, AND, AND, AND START PUTTING SOME MORE, UM, LANGUAGE IN OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS, WHAT'S TO SAY IF THEY WERE TO BE THE PLAINTIFF THAT, UM, THEY WON'T USE THE RETROACTIVE, I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT, OR SAY, WELL, YOU, THIS IS, HAS BEEN ADDED IN THE DEED RESTRICTION, BUT WE WAS HERE FIRST BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, SO WE SHOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN.
AND AS FAR AS ARLINGTON IS CONCERNED, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ZONING LAWS, AND WE DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SOUND LIKE A DEFEATIST, BUT I'M, I'M TRYING TO SEE HOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PROBLEM AND HOW EFFECTIVE CAN WE PUT, REALLY PUT ANYTHING AS AN ORDINANCE IN WRITING TO HAVE SOME TEETH IN IT THAT, THAT ACTUALLY CURTAIL THEIR, THEIR BEHAVIOR, BAD BEHAVIOR THAT IS SURE.
NO, I, I, I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION.
NOW, THE ONE THING THAT WE CAN NEVER DO IS SPECULATE WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE PLAINTIFF IS GOING TO ALLEGE AND, AND THEIR PETITION.
UM, BUT ALL WE CAN DO, WE KNOW WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS COME UP WITH THE DATA TO SUPPORT A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
NOW, WHAT ADDITIONAL ALLEGATIONS MAY COME OF IT? I, I, I DON'T WANNA SPECULATE AND, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA BE HELPFUL TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT WANT TO, TO FILE A PETITION AGAINST THE CITY.
BUT I THINK IF, IF WE BEST POSITION OURSELVES AND WE DO SO WITH A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT HAS A CLEAR LINK TO THE DATA AND THE INFORMATION THAT IS UNIQUE TO HOUSTON, THAT'S THE BEST ROUTE WE CAN TAKE AT THIS TIME.
AND I THINK ARLINGTON IS PROBABLY THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THE JURISDICTION THAT HAS DONE THAT.
SO, UM, BUT, BUT, BUT TO BE ABLE TO SPECULATE HOW WE COULD, YOU KNOW, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WAY OF SAYING IT, BULLETPROOF, THE ORDINANCE, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE RENTED OR WHO HAVE ADOPTED SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SUED AT ALL.
UM, SO WE TEND TO FOCUS ON THE ONES THAT, HAVE YOU BEEN SUED, THE REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN ENJOINED.
WE FOCUS ON WHAT THE COURT SAID, THE PITFALLS WERE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE AT ALL, AND EVEN THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZES THEY HAVEN'T.
UM, AND FRANKLY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH LITIGATION AT THE LOWER LEVELS.
AND IF THEY FIND A CASE THAT THEY THINK WILL ANSWER A, A, A MYRIAD OF, OF QUESTIONS AND ISSUES, THEY MAY TAKE THE ISSUE UP, BUT EVEN JURISDICTIONS DON'T HAVE GUIDANCE TO GO ON.
SO ARLINGTON IS, IS KIND OF THE BLINKING LIGHT TO US THAT SHOWS A, A JURISDICTION THAT DID, IT WAS CHALLENGED DIRECTLY, BUT IT WAS UPHELD.
SO MY LAST QUESTION, PART B TO THAT IS, FROM YOUR LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, DO YOU THINK THAT ARLINGTON HAD A, UH, A BETTER HAND BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVE ZONING LAWS? UM, I, I, MY ANSWER TO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE ONLY BEEN IN HOUSTON ABOUT 20 YEARS.
I'VE NEVER, UM, LIVED ANYWHERE ELSE THAT HAD ZONING.
SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, UNIQUE TO THE, TO THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT NOT UNIQUE TO ANY OF US.
BUT I THINK ARLINGTON'S, UH, SUCCESS WITH THEIR STR ORDINANCE REALLY WAS BECAUSE THEY DID THE LEGWORK BEFOREHAND.
I, I THINK THAT'S THE SUCCESS.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE OF ZONING.
UM, BUT I THINK SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS AND, AND, AND SOME OF THE OUTCOMES ACTUALLY HAD HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ZONING.
IT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE JURISDICTIONS HAVING THEIR DUCKS IN A ROW AND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT WHY THEY REGULATED IN THAT WAY.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATIONS.
[01:15:04]
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE MEETING.NOW, UM, THIS IS A, A WONDERFUL TURNOUT.
WE HAVE MORE THAN 70 FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
AND SO, UM, IN VIEW OF THAT, WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO STICK TO TWO MINUTES, TWO MINUTES EACH.
AND SO IF YOU, IF YOU COULD GET TO THE POINT, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
AND IF YOU GIVE US SOME TIME BACK, THAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER BECAUSE IF EVERYBODY TAKES TWO MINUTES, UH, THAT'S MORE THAN TWO HOURS.
PUBLIC SPEAKER, AND THAT WILL BE JASON GINSBURG.
JASON GINSBURG WILL BE FOLLOWED BY CHANDLER INGER.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I'M WITH HOUSTONIANS AGAINST AIRBNB, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THIS EFFORT, BUT WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR A NEW STR LAW.
WE WANT YOU TO ENFORCE THE EXISTING HOTEL ORDINANCE PASSED IN 1998 TO KEEP STR AWAY FROM OUR HOMES.
IF SOMEONE WANTS AN AIRBNB THAT'S NOT NEXT TO SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME, THEN THAT'S ALLOWED UNDER THAT ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO RUN AWAY FROM THE HOTEL ORDINANCE.
ALL OF THE CASES CITED TODAY BY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT CONCERN PLAINTIFFS WHO ALREADY OWN THEIR PROPERTIES.
WHEN AN STR ORDINANCE WAS PASSED, THOSE PLANS PREVIOUSLY HAD A RIGHT TO AIRBNB AND IT WAS REMOVED.
BUT OUR HOTEL ORDINANCE GOES BACK TO 1998.
IT IS UNIQUE IN THAT REGARD AMONGST ALL THE OTHER CASES THAT WERE CITED.
IF SOMEONE HAS OWNED THEIR PROPERTY FOR OVER 25 YEARS, THEN GRANDFATHER THEM, NO RETROACTIVITY.
BUT EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD FOLLOW THE LAW THAT EXISTED WHEN THEY BOUGHT THEIR PROPERTY.
THESE ST ARE HOTELS UNDER THE CITY'S CODE AND THE TEXAS TAX CODE, WHICH IS WHY THEY ALL PAY HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE CITY'S CODE THAT DIFFERENTIATES AN STR FROM A NO-TILL MOTEL BECAUSE THEY'RE BASICALLY THE SAME ROOMS TO RENT FOR A NIGHT WHERE ANYTHING GOES.
YOU KNOW WHAT? ALL THOSE COURT CASES THAT THEY PUT UP THERE TELL ME.
THEY TELL ME THAT THE AIRBNB PEOPLE ARE GONNA SUE THE CITY NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO.
SO LET'S FIGHT ON THE LAW WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
NOW, INSTEAD OF GETTING OUR BUTTS KICKED, LIKE DALLAS, WHAT DO YOU SAY? THANK YOU.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM CHANDLER INGER TO BE FOLLOWED BY JONATHAN TOPHAM.
THANK YOU COUNCIL AND HOUSTONIANS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK ON THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BOTH STAYED IN AIRBNB RENTALS AND HOSTED 76 TIMES, I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE POSITIVE IMPACTS THIS COMPANY HAS HAD ON THE CITY AND HOUSTONIANS AS THEY'RE CURRENTLY REGULATED WITHOUT REQUIRING PERMITS, LICENSES, OR ENFORCING THE HOTEL ORDINANCE.
A LOT OF HOUSTONIANS USE AIRBNB AS A TRANSIENT OPTION WHEN THEY RELOCATE.
THIS NOT ONLY HELPS TEXANS BUILD THEIR REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO AND CONTRIBUTES TO THEIR RETIREMENT PLANS, BUT ALSO PREVENTS AN OVERSATURATION OF HOUSES FOR SALE ON THE MARKET.
WE SHOULD NOT MAKE IT HARDER FOR HOUSTONIANS TO USE THEIR PROPERTY IN WHICH WAY THEY SEE FIT.
IF WE WERE TO REQUEST HOSTS IN HOUSTON TO GET PERMITS OR LICENSES TO SHORT TERM RENT THEIR HOMES OUT THERE WOULD BE A DECLINE IN SDRS.
AND ONE OF THE BENEFITS IS HOMEOWNERS MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTIES TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN OTHERWISE, THUS INCREASING THE QUALITY OF OUR HOUSES IN THE HOUSING MARKET.
IF WE WERE HEADING IN THE DIRECTION TO BAN AIRBNB, WHICH IS MY FEAR, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT, PAYOUTS ARE SUBJECT TO A 6% STATE TAX.
AIRBNB REPORTED IN 2023, THEY PAID OUT $98 MILLION ON BEHALF OF THEIR HOSTS IN TEXAS.
HOUSTON SPECIFICALLY IS THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTION OF THOSE TAXES FROM AIRBNB FOR TEXAS, THIS MONEY SIGNIFICANTLY FILLS OUR COMMUNAL FUNDING AND BENEFITS, PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
ADDING ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS REQUIRING PERMITS FOR LICENSES WILL DETER PEOPLE FROM USING THE PLATFORM AND DECREASE THIS REVENUE AND CREATE A SUBSTANTIAL GAP IN FUNDING.
[01:20:01]
WILL GUARANTEE A NEGATIVE IMPACT IN OUR GREAT CITY IF FURTHER REGULATED.I UNDERSTAND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF POLICE COMPLAINTS IN THE REPORT SHOWN TODAY.
I BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS OR THE HOMEOWNERS PUNISHMENT, LIKE TAKING AWAY THE HOMEOWNER'S PERMITS OR LICENSES.
IF THIS DOES BECOME ENFORCED, IS ALSO NOT THE ANSWER.
FURTHERMORE, BECAUSE HOUSTONIANS DO NOT NEED TO GET PERMITS OR LICENSES, CURRENTLY, AIRBNB'S SATURATED INVENTORY OFFERS SHORT TERM RENTALS, A MORE AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE TO HIGHER PRICE HOTEL, WHICH BY THE WAY ALSO HAVE PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS.
THIS ACCESSIBILITY IS CRUCIAL FOR MANY TRAVELERS, ESPECIALLY DURING PEAK SEASONS FOR TOURISTS, LARGE EVENTS, AND NATURAL DISASTERS.
WHEN HOTEL OCCUPANCY IS FULL, AIRBNB PROVIDES A CRUCIAL INVENTORY OF HOUSING.
AS WE SAW IN THE REPORT, 11,000 HOMES ARE AVAILABLE MONTHLY MAINTAINING AN OCCUPANCY RATE OF 50 TO 60%.
THAT'S 5,500 AVAILABLE HOMES FOR INSTANT BOOKINGS.
THIS FLEXIBILITY IS ESSENTIAL IN ENSURING THAT THOSE IN NEED HAVE A PLACE TO STAY AND SHOULD NOT BE FURTHER REGULATED TO MAINTAIN THIS LEVEL OF AVAILABILITIES FOR LOCALS.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT NUMBERS.
THIS IS VERY PERSONAL TO HOUSTONIANS.
DURING THE LAST HURRICANE BARREL AND THE STORM BEFORE THAT, NO ONE I KNEW COULD FIND A HOTEL D TO FULL OCCUPANCY.
FOR FAMILIES LIKE MINE WHOSE JOBS CONTRIBUTE TO DISASTER REPAIR IN HOUSTON, SEEKING TEMPORARY HOUSING OUTSIDE THE TOWN IS NOT AN OPTION.
MS. MS, WE MUST REMAIN CLOSE TO HOUSTON.
ADDING MORE REGULATIONS WILL REDUCE AIRBNB'S INVENTORY, MAKING IT HARDER FOR LOCALS TO FIND RELIEF.
MA'AM, WOULD YOU WRAP IT UP, PLEASE? OH, CAN YOU WRAP THAT? I'M SORRY.
AM IM OUTTA TOWN? OH, I THOUGHT, OH, I'M FINE.
WE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS, UH, JONATHAN TOPHAM TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACQUELINE TURY.
HELLO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TODAY.
UH, I KNOW THAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, SDRS IN OUR AREA HAVE LED TO SEVERAL ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING LOCALS.
I'M PART OF DISTRICT I, THESE ARE NOISE AND DISTURBANCE, SAFETY AND SECURITY PARKING PROBLEMS. I UNDERSTAND S STRS CAN PROVIDE ECONOMIC BENEFIT, BUT THE BALANCE BETWEEN THESE BENEFITS AND THE WELLBEING OF PERMANENT RESIDENTS SEEMS TO BE TIPPING INFERABLE.
I HAD A GUEST TRESPASS MY BACKYARD AND DAMAGE THE AC.
THE OWNER DID NOT WANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
AIRBNB MENTIONED TO FILE A REPORT WITH HPD AND FOR ME TO PURSUE THE CASE.
UH, COPS HAVE HAD TO INTERVENE WITH GUNS, DRONES IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, A NAKED WOMAN ON THE BALCONY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THERE ARE CHILDREN.
SHE EVEN BROUGHT AN AMAZON DELIVERY GUY TO THE HOUSE.
AND THERE'S BEEN MANY INSTANCES WHERE PARTIES HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN, UH, BY NUMEROUS COPS.
WITH THE USE OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES, THERE'S BEEN FIGHTS IN FRONT OF MY GARAGE, UH, GUESTS TRYING TO ENTER MY HOUSE, SMOKING IN MY ENTRANCE AT 10:33 PM WITH THE NOISE.
AND THEN, UH, COPS DISPATCH MANY TIMES EVEN, UH, THIS EARLY CONDUCT, UH, PEEING IN THE SHARED ENTRY, UH, I HAVE INCLUDED A POLICE REPORT, UH, DETAILING THE MULTIPLE DISPATCHES.
UH, THERE WERE NINE IN TWO DAYS, UH, OVER A PARTY WEEKEND WITH THE DOCUMENTED DISTURBANCES THAT IT WAS THE EXPOSURE, LOUD NOISE, UH, UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN WEAPON.
AND THIS IS A WASTE OF, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES KNOWING HOW LEAN THEY ARE.
UH, I STARTED REPORTING ALL THE INCIDENTS, UH, WITH THE HOST.
AND, UH, NEITHER, UH, AIRBNB, AIRBNB OR RVBO ACTED, UH, THE LISTING IS ADVERTISED AS A SLEEPING 12 IN A THREE BEDROOM HOME.
UH, BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THEY DO ON THE THIRD FLOOR, HAVING A GAME ROOM.
UH, THE OWNER IS IN DALLAS AND HE DOESN'T CARE, I IMAGINE.
AND MY CONCERNS ARE, UH, THE OWNER DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE GUESTS THEY HOST OR DAMAGES INCIDENTS.
THEY CAUSE, EH, THE RENTING WEBSITES DO NOT TAKE, UH, EFFECTIVE ACTION.
SO MY SUGGESTIONS ARE ENFORCING REGULATIONS, ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH NOISE ORDINANCES, PARKING REGULATIONS, AND PROPERTY, MAINTAINING STANDARDS WITH FINES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND INCREASED PENALTIES FOR REPEATED OFFENDERS.
ALRIGHT, NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM JACQUELINE TURY TO BE FOLLOWED BY KATHY YANG.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR RAMIREZ, VICE CHAIR PECK, AND MEMBERS.
I'M, I'M THE REGIONAL MANAGER FOR EXPEDIA GROUP.
UM, AND ON BEHALF OF THE EXPEDIA GROUP FAMILY OF BRANDS, INCLUDING THE LEADING VACATION RENTAL SITE, ROBO.COM, I THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, THE TIME THAT YOU'RE SPENDING ON THIS
[01:25:01]
TOPIC TODAY.UM, WE ARE PROUD TO PLAY A KEY ROLE IN HOUSTON'S ECONOMY, HELPING TRAVELERS RESEARCH PLAN AND BOOK A WIDE RANGE OF LODGING, AIRLINE CAR RENTAL, AND DESTINATION EXPERIENCES IN THE CITY.
AND I'M GONNA SKIP SOME OF WHAT I WROTE JUST SO I CAN GET TO ALL THE, UM, DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, I WANNA DISCUSS A FEW THINGS VRBO IS CURRENTLY DOING TO ASSIST COMMUNITIES IN ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE HEARD FROM PROPERTY OWNERS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, WE HAVE CURRENTLY A NOISE AWARE PARTNERSHIP.
NOISE AWARE PROVIDES PRIVACY SAFE WAY TO WIRELESSLY MONITOR DECIBEL LEVELS INSIDE VACATION RENTALS AND NOTIFY HOMEOWNERS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS WHEN NOISE LEVELS REACH OR EXCEED CUSTOMIZABLE THRESHOLDS.
THINK OF LIKE A SMOKE DETECTOR FOR NOISE.
SO WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM THAT GIVES, UM, A DISCOUNT TO OUR PROPERTY MANAGERS AND HOSTS IN THAT AREA.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT DIRECTOR PAEZ MENTIONED CALLED STAY NEIGHBORLY ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, THIS REFLECTS VERBOS COMMITMENT TO THE BENEFITS THAT SHORT-TERM RENTALS PROVIDE HOMEOWNERS TRAVELERS IN THE COMMUNITIES OF WHICH THEY'RE A APART.
VRBO IS COMMITTED TO EDUCATING OUR OWNERS AND TRAVELERS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING COMMUNICATION PORTAL TO ALERT VRBO TO DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR.
THIS IS@STAYNEIGHBORLY.COM TO REPORT ANY OF YOUR, UM, COMPLAINTS THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, SO YOU VISIT THE WEBSITE TO SUBMIT YOUR CONCERN, AND OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM WILL REVIEW THE SUBMISSION.
IF THE COMPLAINT MATCHES A PROPERTY ON VRBO, WE WILL INVESTIGATE ALERT THE OWNER TO YOUR CONCERNS AND REMIND THEM OF VRBO UNAUTHORIZED EVENTS POLICY.
WE ALSO HAVE HOSTING ESSENTIALS WHERE WE'VE PARTNERED WITH RENT RESPONSIBLY TO MAINTAIN A CATALOG OF RESOURCES TO HELP HOSTS BE RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY, UM, AND SHOW PROACTIVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LOCAL REGULATIONS, CREATING POLICY BOOKLETS FOR YOUR SHORT-TERM RENTAL FOR YOUR GUESTS.
UM, WE ACTUALLY RECENTLY SENT AN EMAIL TO ALL OF OUR HOSTS IN HOUSTON REMINDING THEM ABOUT NOISE AWARE DAMAGE DEPOSIT, AND OTHER MISCONDUCT, UM, INFORMATION.
I WILL STOP THERE SO THAT I CAN RESPECT THE REST OF THE TIME.
WE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, REAL QUICKLY EXPLAIN HOW THE NOISE THING WORKS.
UM, SO WHAT THIS IS IS LIKE A MONITORING DEVICE SIMILAR TO, LIKE I SAID, A SMOKE DETECTOR, BUT FOR NOISE.
AND WHAT IT WOULD DO IS IT WOULD MONITOR THE DECIBEL LEVELS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF A VACATION RENTAL.
SO A HOMEOWNER OR A PROPERTY MANAGER NOT ON SITE WOULD GET NOTIFIED IF IT REACHED A DECIBEL LEVEL THAT WAS SET.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S AN ADJUSTABLE LEVEL THAT THEY CAN PUT ON.
UM, AND IT CAN HELP CURB UNRULY GUESTS OR NOISE.
SO, SO YOU GET LIKE A NOTIFICATION ON YOUR PHONE OR SOMETHING IF THERE.
AND JUST REALLY QUICK, WE DID HAVE ONE CITY THAT ACTUALLY PUT A REDUCTION IN THEIR, UM, SHORT TERM RENTAL REGISTRATION FEES FOR, UM, THE HOSTS THAT GOT NOISE AWARES OR, OR MONITORING DEVICES LIKE THAT PUT ON THEIR PROPERTIES TO HELP INCREASE THAT, UM, COMPLIANCE.
SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
DOES THE PROPERTY GET A RATING? WE DO HAVE RATINGS, YES, SIR.
DO THE CUSTOMERS GET RATINGS? I BELIEVE SO, YES.
SO IF A NEIGHBOR NEXT TO THE PROPERTY THAT IS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UM, COMPLAINS ABOUT BEHAVIOR BY A CUSTOMER, DOES THAT GET FIGURED INTO THE CUSTOMER'S RATING? NO.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE DO TAKE COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY, AND WE DO LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
I PERSONALLY HAVE RECEIVED SOME FROM MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS,
WE, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE, THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE HAVING BUSINESS ON OUR SITE AS WELL AS THE GUESTS.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM KATHY YANG TO BE FOLLOWED BY LEE HAMPTON.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
I WANNA SHARE SOME OF MY, UH, PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL, BUT FIRST I WANNA TELL ALL THOSE, UH, PLATFORM EMPLOYEES TO STOP LYING PERSONALLY.
AND MANY OF MY, UH, NEIGHBORS HAVE WRITE EMAILS AND, UH, UH, SEND COMPLAINTS TO ALL THOSE PLATFORMS. NAME IT VIA BO AIRBNB.
AND WE DON'T GET THE POSITIVE RESULT, ESPECIALLY VIBO.
THEY HAVE SO MANY REQUIREMENT THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO REACH OUR GOAL TO, YOU KNOW, UH, SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
AND THE MOST RECENT ONE WITH THE
[01:30:01]
COUNCILWOMAN HEALTH'S HELP, WE FINALLY CAN STOP, UH, TWO OF THE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.BUT THEN IT WAS JUST TEMPORARILY THEY CAME BACK AGAIN.
SO IT'S ALWAYS JUST TEMPORARY.
AND DURING MARCH IN, UH, MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WE HAVE THESE TWO UNITS RUN A PARTY FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH FROM BEGINNING UNTIL FIRST WEEK OF, UH, APRIL.
AND ALMOST EVERY SINGLE NIGHT WE HAVE TO CALL HPD CALL NINE ONE ONE, EVEN BECAUSE THERE'S GUNFIRE, WE TALK ABOUT MULTIPLE AND, UH, WE TALK ABOUT SEX PARTY, WE TALK ABOUT NAKED WOMAN RUNNING AROUND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE TALK ABOUT CONSTANT PAST SMOKING AND WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC URINATION, EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE.
SO ON ONE PARTICULAR NIGHT I WAS SCREAMING AND YELLING AT MY BALCONY.
YOU CAN SEE THIS FROM THE NEWS MEDIA.
MAY I CONTINUE? I'LL MAKE IT REALLY SHORT.
THAT NIGHT, THAT WAS 3:45 AM SOMEBODY HIT MY WALL, BUT THEN IT ALL STARTED WHOLE DAY ALREADY, ESPECIALLY FROM 11:00 PM I COULDN'T SLEEP.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE ENTIRE MONTH I SLEEP ONLY VERY FEW HOURS, THEY HIT MY WALL BECAUSE THEY SELL THE KIDS.
IF YOU COULD WRAP IT UP, MA'AM.
WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
UH, THANK YOU MS. YANG FOR COMING FORWARD.
AND I KNOW THAT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY TERRORIZED BY SOME OF THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
AND EVEN, LIKE YOU SAID, EVEN WHEN, YOU KNOW, VRBO TAKES IT DOWN, THEN WE HAVE OTHER PLATFORMS WHICH WE HEARD FROM A RA THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT SITES LIKE TIKTOK AND CRAIGSLIST AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE KNOW SOME OF THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE BEING ADVERTISED ON.
SO YES, IT IS A CHALLENGE AND, UM, AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
WE'LL NEXT HERE FROM LEE HAMPTON TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEPHANIE HAYNES.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO TO STEPHANIE HAYNES TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRITTANY PERNELL.
I'M WITH A HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION OF GREATER HOUSTON.
WE REPRESENT HOTELS AND LODGING FACILITIES, UM, RANGING EVERYTHING FROM SMALL BED AND BREAKFAST TO SELECT SERVICE HOTELS ALL THE WAY TO CONVENTION HOTELS.
WE'RE REALLY PLEASED THAT THE CITY IS LOOKING AT POTENTIAL OPTIONS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
WE HOPE THAT TO BE A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST REGULATED OR A VERY REGULATED INDUSTRY.
YOU HEARD EARLIER WHEN YOU'RE LISTENING TO THE DIFFERENT ORDINANCES.
WE ARE REGULATED EVERYTHING FROM WHERE OUR LOCATIONS ARE TO OUR HOURS, TO, UM, OUR LIFE SAFETY PERMITS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE.
SO ANYTIME THAT YOU LOOK AT THE HOTEL ORDINANCE OR ANY OF THE LODGING ORDINANCES OR RENTAL ORDINANCES, WE WANNA BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE REALLY BECOME A REALITY IN THE CITY.
YOU SAW THERE'S ALMOST 11,000 OF THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED, AND I ASSUME THAT THEY CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY MORE.
MANY ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH MULTIPLE PLATFORMS, I THINK IT WAS OVER 70.
BUT WE, AGAIN, ARE CHALLENGED WITH REGARD TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW THOSE UNITS ARE BEING RENTED THROUGH THEM.
LIKE ALL INDUSTRIES, THERE'S GOOD ACTORS AND THERE'S BAD ACTORS.
WE WANNA BE HERE TO HELP YOU AS A RESOURCE.
UM, WE HOPE THAT THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT FROM OUR INDUSTRY WE CAN DO TO BE OF ASSISTANCE, WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP AND LEND OUR EXPERTISE.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO APPEAR TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US SOME TIME BACK.
WE'LL NEXT HEAR FROM BRITTANY PURNELL TO BE FOLLOWED BY RAMI FORSEN.
JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN'T HEAR ME.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT HARD TO HEAR YOU.
I'M BRITTANY PURNELL AND THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING HERE.
I WANTED TO START OFF BY SAYING I WAS SO PROUD WHEN I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOME.
I SAVED UP A LONG TIME TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS QUIET AND FILLED WITH PROFESSIONALS.
NEVER IN MY LIFE DID I THINK I WOULD HAVE TO FACE THE FEELING LIKE MY QUALITY OF LIFE AND ENJOYMENT OF BEING HOME WOULD BE THREATENED.
THE SHORT TERM RENTAL NEXT DOOR HAS COMPLETELY TURNED MY LIFE UPSIDE DOWN.
CRIME HAS LITERALLY BEEN BROUGHT TO MY FRONT DOOR.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SHORT CLIP
[01:35:01]
AS THIS WAS ON MY RING DOORBELL.F**K YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU F*****G CRACKER, CRACKED ASS WHITE GIRL THAT BEGAN AT THE STREET AND HE, HE FOLLOWED ME ALL THE WAY DOWN MY DRIVEWAY WHILE I WAS BEING VERBALLY HARASSED AND THREATENED.
AND HE TOLD ME HE WAS GONNA COME BACK AND TAKE ME OUT CONTINUOUSLY.
SO I HAVE BEEN THREATENED AND VERBALLY HARASSED BY THE GUESTS AND OWNERS.
THEY BRANDISH FIREARMS. WEED IS OPENLY SMOKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY.
TENANTS BRAG ABOUT RAPE ALONG WITH TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES THAT I SIMPLY HEARD SITTING IN MY BACKYARD WITH MY DOGS AND ALL MY SECURITY CAMERAS.
IN THAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT, MY NEIGHBORS, ONE OF THEM, COMPLETELY BLOCKED THEIR DOOR WITH EVERY PIECE OF FURNITURE THEY HAD.
AND THE OTHER ONE WENT TO A HOTEL.
WHEN I TOLD THE OWNER OF THE UNIT THAT I CALLED LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE OWNER CALLED ME NAMES THREATENED ME, AND I QUOTE, NOW I HAVE TO REFUND THEIR F*****G STAY BECAUSE YOU ARE A B***H.
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT, THE OWNER TOLD ME I WAS INTERFERING WITH HER BUSINESS BY CALLING LAW ENFORCEMENT SIMPLY BECAUSE I FELT UNSAFE.
SO THE OWNER REWARDED THE TENANT FOR THREATENING ME BY REFUNDING THEIR STAY AND ALLOWED THEM TO STAY ON THE PREMISES THE FOLLOWING FOUR DAYS.
THIS HAS CAUSED ME A LOT OF FEAR AND ANXIETY.
UM, AND I FEAR RETALIATION CONSTANTLY NOT KNOWING WHAT THE TENANT WILL BE LIKE.
I'M CONSTANTLY BLOCKED IN BY TENANTS AND VEHICLES.
THE OWNER AND MANAGEMENT COMPANY HAVE BOTH ADMITTED TO DOING THIS INTENTIONALLY.
THE OWNER'S RESPONSE, IF SOMEONE BLOCKS ME IN AND I QUOTE, IF BRITTANY NEEDS TO ENTER HER EXIT, SHE CAN POLITELY ASK THEM TO MOVE.
I HAVE ASKED GUESTS TO MOVE MANY TIMES, AND I'M ROUTINELY IGNORED AND HARASSED AFTER DOING SO.
TENANTS CONTINUE TO BLOCK ME IN WITH THEIR VEHICLES AND I FEEL THAT ASKING PUTS MY SAFETY AT RISK BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHO IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN HAS A A QUESTION OR COMMENT, BUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE, WOULD YOU MIND SHARING YOUR ADDRESS WITH GLORIA? UM, MY STAFF MEMBER OVER HERE? YES.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
AND THAT, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY COMMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHERE SOME OF YOU LIVE BECAUSE WE'VE INTERACTED WITH YOU IN THE PAST, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU, LIKE, IF IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME HERE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE STR GET ON THIS LIST, THAT YOU KNOW THAT IT'S BEING COMPILED.
SO PLEASE, IF THERE IS A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, WRITE DOWN THE ADDRESSES OF THE SDRS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, THAT'D BE VERY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM RAMI FARSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY BROOKE NIK.
UH, I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF HOUSTON.
I OWN AND OPERATE FOR AIRBNB PROPERTIES DISTRICT.
I, AND I'M DEEPLY INVESTED IN THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY.
FIRST, LET ME HIGHLIGHT THE POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT MY FOUR PROPERTIES HAVE ON HOUSTON.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, I HAVE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $48,000 ON CLEANING SERVICES ALONE AND MORE THAN $75,000 ON FURNITURE.
I PAID OVER $51,000 IN OCCUPANCY TAXES AND I BOUGHT MY PROPERTIES AS FIXER UPPERS, WHICH HAD BEEN VACANT FOR MORE THAN 12 YEARS.
I SPENT OVER $50,000 IN FEES AND PERMITS AND MORE THAN $400,000 TO REMODEL THE PROPERTIES.
THESE INVEST INVESTMENTS SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
I SYMPATHIZE WITH RESIDENTS WHO LIVE NEAR PARTY HOUSES, LIKE NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE NEAR SUCH PROPERTIES.
THESE STORIES OFTEN MAKE HEADLINES CREATING THE PERCEPTION THAT ALL SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE BAD.
THIS COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
THOSE PROPERTIES ARE OUTLIERS.
LOOK AT SLIDE NUMBER 11 AND 12.
ONLY 27 COMPLAINTS CAME TO YOUR OFFICE.
MY PROPERTIES ARE NOT PARTY HOUSES.
MOST OF MY GUESTS ARE LARGE FAMILY REUNIONS, SPANNING THREE TO FOUR GENERATIONS.
WOMEN'S RETREATS, ISD PRINCIPAL MEETINGS, FAMILIES WITH LOVED ONES BEING TREATED AT THE MEDICAL CENTER, POWER LINE CREWS DURING HURRICANES AND STORMS, AND INSURANCE COMPANIES NEEDING TO RELOCATE THEIR CUSTOMERS.
THESE GROUPS APPRECIATE THE SPACIOUS, COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENTS WITH FULL KITCHENS AND COMMUNAL SPACES, WHICH TRADITIONAL HOTELS CANNOT OFFER.
THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY AT MY PROPERTY IS FIVE NIGHTS PER GROUP.
THE AVERAGE BOOKING IS AROUND 10 GUESTS PER BOOKING.
THESE GUESTS SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD HOTELS.
[01:40:01]
FOR SUCH GUESTS.I RUN MY PROPERTIES WITH THE UTMOST RESPONSIBILITY AND CARE.
I HAVE STRICT RULES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF BOTH MY GUESTS AND THE NEIGHBORS.
WE DON'T ALLOW PARTIES, GUESTS MUST ADHERE TO THE CITY NOISE ORDINANCE.
THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ISSUES ARE NOT SHORT TERM RENTAL PROBLEMS, BUT THE ACCOUNTS OF A FEW RESPONSIBLE HOSTS, IN SUMMARY, DO NOT BAN OR RESTRICT SDRS.
AND FINALLY, I JUST WANNA, I'M SURPRISED THAT NO ONE IS QUESTIONING THE DATA OF THE A RA.
THEY MAPPED THE HPD 300 FEET, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE ARE DEDICATED TO SDR.
LIKE, THERE MUST BE A BETTER METHODOLOGY TO MAP THE HPD TWO, 300 YARDS.
WELL, NEXT HERE IS FROM BROOKE NIK TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSHUA CORMIER.
ALRIGHT, BROOKE IS NOT AVAILABLE.
JOSHUA CORMIER IS JOSHUA CORMIER.
HERE SEBASTIAN LONG TO BE FOLLOWED BY DEBORAH OLIVER.
I'M HERE TO HIGHLIGHT THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF SHORT TERM RENTALS ON HOUSTON'S ECONOMY USING MY COMPANY LODGER.
AS AN EXAMPLE, AS AN IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEUR THAT MOVED TO THE US IN 2018, I BOUGHT WITH ME HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN INVESTMENT.
BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, MY COMPANY LODGER WILL HAVE WELCOMED OVER 10,000 GUESTS, AND WE'VE CREATED 11 JOBS SO FAR.
WE GENERATE EVERY YEAR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, WHILE SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES.
FOR EXAMPLE, PAYING, UH, SEVEN FIGURE CHECKS ANNUALLY TO LOCAL LANDLORDS AND HAVING MULTIPLE SUPPLIERS TO WHOM WE PAY FIVE FIGURE CHECKS.
OUR SERVICES BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN HOTELS AND LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION, SUPPORTING VARIOUS SECTORS OF HOUSTON'S ECONOMY.
75% OF OUR GUESTS ARE HERE FOR PROFESSIONAL REASONS.
WE HOST EVERYONE FROM INTERNS AND NOR KLUX INTERNATIONAL RELOCATIONS, UH, BUSINESS, BUSINESS PEOPLE HERE ON PROJECTS, ATTENDING EVENTS, AND WE EVEN HOUSE NASA ENGINEERS HELPING US GET BACK TO THE MOON.
WE ACCOMMODATE CANCER PATIENTS ON SHORT AND EXTENDED STAYS, PLUS TRAVEL NURSES AND DOCTORS ON RESIDENCIES AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
NUMBER THREE, INNOVATION ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
WE SUPPORT FOUNDERS AND EMPLOYEES IN MIDTOWNS INNOVATION DISTRICT, ENTREPRENEURS LAUNCHING NEW BUSINESSES AND LOCATIONS HERE IN HOUSTON.
WE HOUSE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES FROM BELOVED TEAMS LIKE THE ASTROS, AS WELL AS ACTORS, ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS FOR LOCAL THEATERS.
THE HOUSTON GRAND OPERA AND THE HOUSTON BALLET.
WE PROVIDE HOUSING DURING POWER OUTAGES AND STORMS SUCH AS BURL, AND FOR THOSE UNDERGOING HOME REPAIRS OR NAVIGATING PERSONAL TRANSITIONS LIKE BREAKUPS AND DIVORCES.
WE ACTIVELY PROMOTE HOUSTON AS A DESTINATION BOOSTING LOCAL TECH, TOURISM AND RELOCATION.
WE HAVE 150 ARTICLES THAT SHOWCASE HOUSTON'S ATTRACTIONS AND DINING SCENE, FOR EXAMPLE.
SHORT TERM RENTALS LIKE OURS ARE CRITICAL TOO.
FOR HOUSTON'S GROWTH AND FLEXIBILITY.
WE SUPPORT NEW AND MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS BY REDUCING VACANCY LOSSES WITH DEVELOPERS AND OWNERS.
WE OFFER SAFE, FLEXIBLE, AND CONVENIENT TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T COMMIT TO LONG TERM LEASES.
BE NEED MORE THAN A HOTEL ROOM.
WE'LL NEXT HEAR FROM DEBORAH OLIVER TO BE FOLLOWED BY GAIL R DEBORAH OLIVER.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER PUBLICLY SPOKEN FOR THE PAST, PAST FIVE YEARS.
OUR FAMILY LIFE HAS BEEN PROFOUNDLY DISRUPTED BY LIVING NEXT TO A SHORT-TERM RENTAL PARTY HOUSE WITH A DISCO, LIGHT SWIMMING POOL THAT FLASHES ALL NIGHT LONG.
WHEN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR BECAME A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AN OCCASIONAL DISTURBANCE.
LITTLE DID WE KNOW IT WOULD BECOME A PERSISTENT NIGHTMARE.
THE ALLURE OF EASY MONEY FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER TRANSLATED INTO A REVOLVING DOOR OF WEEKDAY AND WEEKEND PARTERS.
EACH MORE DISRUPTIVE THAN THE LAST ESCALATING INTO A FEAR OF BEING IN MY OWN BACKYARD WITH PEOPLE EXPOSING THEMSELVES TO ME ON THE BACK TERRACES, AS WELL AS IN THE SWIMMING POOL, WHICH MY KITCHEN WINDOW OVERLOOKS.
WE HAVE BEEN BLOCKED FROM MY DRIVEWAY BY PEOPLE WHO APPEAR TO BE AGITATED AND DISORIENTATED.
IMAGINE IF YOU WILL, TRYING TO SLEEP WHILE DEAFENING MUSIC GLARES THROUGH THE SHARED WALLS AND SCREAMING AND SHOUTING UNTIL THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING.
PICTURE THE ANXIETY OF NEVER KNOWING WHO YOUR NEIGHBOR WILL BE ONE DAY TO THE NEXT.
EACH NEW GROUP BRINGS WITH THEM A FRESH WAVE OF CHAOS AND ANXIETY.
IT'S NOT JUST THE NOISE OR THE SMELL OF DRUGS OR THE CONSTANT PARTIES THAT IS THE ISSUE.
[01:45:01]
FOR OUR SHARED WALL AND THE PRIVACY OF WHICH WE HAVE LOST.ALL OUR ONCE PEACEFUL HOME ECHOES WITH THE SOUNDS OF SHOUTING, SCREAMING, AND SOMETIMES ALTERCATIONS.
CUSTOMERS PARK HAPHAZARDLY BLOCKING DRIVEWAYS AND LEAVING LITTER STREWN ACROSS THE STREET AND SIDEWALK.
I'VE HAD TO HAVE A FENCE BUILT TO STOP GARBAGE FROM BEING PUT IN MY BINS AND THROWN IN MY DRIVEWAY.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE THROWING UP ON MY DRIVEWAY AS WELL AS URINATING AGAINST THE FENCE.
THE TRANQUILITY THAT I ONCE TOOK FOR GRANTED HAS BEEN SHATTERED, REPLACED BY A PERPETUAL STATE OF TENSION, UNEASE, AND FEAR.
THIS EXPERIENCE HAS TAKEN A TOLL ON MY MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING, THE STRESS OF CONSTANT DISTURBANCES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. OLIVER.
MS. OLIVER, MS. OLIVER, MA'AM OLIVER WOULD, WOULD YOU MIND SHARING YOUR ADDRESS WITH MY STAFFER OVER HERE? THANK YOU.
GAIL RONE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHERYL PALMER O'BRIEN.
IS IT ON? GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN RAMIREZ.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS GAIL RONE.
I HAVE LIVED IN DISTRICT G MY ENTIRE LIFE.
NOT ALL OF THESE VACA, NOT, I'M SORRY.
NOT ALL OF THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE VACATION HOMES.
THEY'RE UNREGULATED AFTER HOURS CLUBS DESIGNED FOR DEBAUCHERY, PORNOGRAPHY, PROSTITUTION, DRUG DEALING, AND DRUG USE.
WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR A BAN ON THE RENTALS, BUT A REGULATION.
THESE ARE IN ESTABLISHED FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS IN WAYS THAT WILL MAINTAIN OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND OUR PROPERTY VALUES.
OUR SERENITY IS DESTROYED BY LOUD MUSIC, GUNSHOTS, SCREAMING, WOMEN REVVING CAR ENGINES, ALL HAPPENING IN THE HOURS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SHORT TERM RENTALS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHER ESTABLISHED FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS NEED TO BE REGULATED.
THESE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE NOT WHERE TERRORISTS COME TO VISIT.
THESE PROPERTIES ARE NOT BEING USED FOR PERSONAL USE.
THEY BRING ALCOHOL, THEY BRING DRUGS, THEY BRING WOMEN, THEY CHARGE PEOPLE, THEY SERVE ALCOHOL.
AND THEY'RE OCCUPIED BY THE PUBLIC.
THE OWNER DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THESE GUESTS.
THE OWNERS ARE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.
ARE THEY EVEN IN THE CITY? THEY'RE AFTER HOURS CLUBS WITH NO PERMITS.
WHEN THE CLUBS ON WESTHEIMER AND RICHMOND CLOSE, THESE PARTIES GET GOING.
THEY START EARLY ON THE WEEKENDS AND THEY'RE HERE ALL NIGHT LONG.
THEY'RE, THEY SOMETIMES ARE STILL GOING.
AS FAMILIES ARE HEADING TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNINGS OR TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY MORNINGS, SCANTILY CLAD WOMEN HAVE RUN THROUGH THE COMPLEX SCREAMING FOR HELP.
ONE YOUNG DRUGGED WOMAN WAS VIDEOED BEING CARRIED BY HER ARMS AND LEGS BEGGING FOR HELP AS SHE WAS THROWN INTO THE TRUNK OF A CAR.
THIS IS AN ESTABLISHED FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S DESTROYING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE ME WOULD THANK YOU MS. MS. ROME.
WOULD YOU MIND SHARING YOUR ADDRESS WITH GLORIA, MY STAFFER? WELL, I WAS GONNA, YOU GOT IT.
I WANTED TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN WAS ABLE TO GET AIR THIS HOUSE TAKEN OFF AIRBNB AND VRBO, BUT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF UNDERGROUND SITES.
WE'LL HEAR FROM CHERYL PALMER O'BRIEN TO BE FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL ASLAN.
HI, I AM CHERYL PALMER O'BRIEN.
I KNOW A NUMBER OF Y'ALL THROUGH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, BUT I'M HERE AS AN INDIVIDUAL, NOT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SNA.
UM, MY CONCERN IS ABOUT PROPERTY OWNERS, NOT THE, NOT THE RENTERS, BUT THE OWNERS AND THE INABILITY TO BE ABLE TO CONTACT THEM WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS.
UH, JUST RECENTLY WE HAD A PLUMBING LEAK IN A, AN AIRBNB, UM, IN A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, NOBODY COULD FIND WHO THE OWNER WAS.
UM, CITY OF HOUSTON SAID THEY COULDN'T COME OUT AND FIX IT BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE PROPERTY OWNER'S WATERLINE.
MEANWHILE, AS WE'RE GOING AROUND THROUGH THE ENDLESS LOOP OF, I CAN'T HELP YOU, I CAN'T HELP YOU, I CAN'T HELP YOU, IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, WE CAN'T ENTER IT.
WATER IS FLOODING INTO THE YARD NEXT TO THEM CREATING PROBLEMS FOR THAT HOUSE.
AND CENTER POINT SAYS IT'S, WE CAN'T ENTER THE PROPERTY.
I, I BEG OF Y'ALL TRY TO HAVE SOME SORT OF A REGULATION THAT WE HAVE A WAY TO BE ABLE TO CONTACT PROPERTY OWNERS WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS ARE HAPPENING TO THEIR PROPERTY.
THE MAJORITY OF THE ONES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ARE GOOD ACTORS.
IF I COULD ONLY GET AHOLD OF THEM, I KNOW THEY WOULD FIX THEM.
[01:50:01]
BUT MANY OF THEM LIVE OUT OF THE COUNTRY AND IT'S VERY HARD TO GET AHOLD OF THEM.AND THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
WILL NEXT HEAR FROM MICHAEL ALIN OR ASHLYN? HOW ABOUT, UH, ANYA MARUSAK PRESENT.
ALRIGHT, TO BE FOLLOWED BY DATHAN LEWIS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
MY NAME IS ANYA MARUSHA AND I'M HERE TODAY TO URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION, UH, FIRST ON ENFORCING CHAPTER 28 OF THE CITY CODE ALREADY IN PLACE AND TO DEVELOP AND ENFORCE NEW RESTRICTIONS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY FOR MULTI-UNIT PROPERTIES OPERATING AS HOTELS.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER AND A BOARD MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION AND, UM, LAND USE CO-CHAIR.
SO I SEE FIRSTHAND ON MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND SOME OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORS AT RESIDENCE.
ON AUGUST 8TH LAST YEAR, I CAME TO CITY COUNCIL AND SPOKE AND SHARED MY URGENT CONCERN WITH A SMALL APARTMENT BUILDING LOCATED AT 6 0 1 EAST SEVENTH STREET IN DISTRICT C IN THE HEIGHTS.
IT HAD BEEN CONVERTED FROM A 20 UNIT MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENT TO A SHORT-TERM RENTAL HOTEL.
AND WITHIN A MATTER OF WEEKS IT BECAME A HOTBED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
FORMER MAYOR TURNER, WHEN HE HEARD MY CONCERN, SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND TO HIS CREDIT, HE DID.
HE SENT INSPECTORS OUT AND WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THE RENOVATION CONVERSION HAD NOT BEEN PERMITTED AND NUMEROUS.
UM, PRETTY IMPORTANT I GUESS, UM, UH, VIOLATIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THOSE STILL HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED AND THEY'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE OPERATING AS A SHORT-TERM HOTEL.
IT IS A NUISANCE AND A DANGER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR OFFICERS.
THERE HAVE BEEN 60 REPORTS ON THIS SUBJECT PROPERTY.
THE HPD AND CONSTABLE HAVE REPORTED TO WITH 39 OF THESE RESULTING IN INTERACTION WITH THE PERPETRATOR AND OR AN ARREST.
THIS IS AN ADDITION TO ANOTHER 25 PLUS OTHER INCIDENTS MY NEIGHBORS AND I HAVE WITNESSED AND DIRECTLY DEALT WITH WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER OWNER ADA UNG.
I'M SURE YOU'D AGREE THAT WITH CITY RESOURCES BEING SO CONSTRAINED, THEY COULD BETTER BE USED FOR OTHER THINGS THAT ENFORCING SHORT TERM RENTAL HOTELS.
WE'LL HEAR FROM DA LEWIS DAHAN LEWIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY KAZEM LAWAL.
UH, DEFINITELY THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER BEING AT ONE OF THESE, SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I DO WANNA SHARE JUST FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
I AM WHAT'S CONSIDERED A SUPERHOST ON AIRBNB AND THAT'S SOMEONE OF A HIGHER ACCOLADE WHO, UH, GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR GUESTS THAT STAY.
I DO HAVE A AIRBNB THAT IS DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, WHICH I'VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO HOST SO MANY GUESTS THAT HAVE ALL GIVEN ME, UH, FIVE STAR REVIEWS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ONE REVIEW FROM CHRISTINA WHO'S IN CHICAGO.
UH, I PERSONALLY HAD TO THANK HIM FOR HIS SAFETY ALERTS LISTED ON HIS NOTICES, WHICH ARE PLACED ON THE FRONT DOORS AND BATHROOM DOORS.
SAFETY IS MOST IMPORTANT AND I APPRECIATED THE TIME THAT HE TOOK TO MAKE SURE HIS GUESTS UNDERSTOOD THIS PROCEDURE DATE THAT MADE YOU FEEL LIKE A FRIEND SHOWING HIS CARE AND ATTENTI TO BE BEING RESPONSIVE.
EVERY TIME I HAD A QUESTION, HE RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AND FOLLOWED BACK UP WITH ME TO MAKE SURE THINGS WERE GOING AS PLANNED.
HE WAS VERY EASY TO COMMUNICATE WITH AND VERY GENUINE.
WHEN I EXPRESSED I LAND EARLIER, UM, THAN EXPECTED.
UM, I CAN SAY I CAN NOW SAY THAT I HAVE AN APARTMENT WITH AIRBNB THAT I WILL STAY AT WHEN I RETURN TO HOUSTON.
THIS GUEST ACTUALLY CAME BACK.
UH, ONE THING THAT I IMPLEMENTED WITH MY AIRBNB ARE HOUSE RULES AND NOISE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RULES.
UM, I HAVE A RING CAMERA ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY DOOR AND IT WILL ALSO ALERT ME IF THERE'S A NOISE I'VE HAD THAT BECOME AN ISSUE WHERE I REACHED OUT TO THE GUESTS AND IT WAS A, THEY ADJUSTED IT QUICKLY.
UM, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY, AND AGAIN, SPEAK FROM A PERSPECTIVE WHERE I UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, AS FAR AS A REGULATION MAY NEEDING TO BE PUT INTO PLACE, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT
[01:55:01]
IN THIS SPACE, SUCH AS MYSELF.WE'LL HEAR FROM KAZEEM LAWAL TO BE FOLLOWED BY GILBERT ROCO.
ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF, UH, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'M KAZEEM AL, PROUD HOUSTON NATIVE AND AN AIRBNB HOST NEARLY FOUR YEARS.
I'M HERE TO EMPHASIZE THE SIGNIFICANT VALUE AIRBNB BRINGS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND CITIZENS.
RECENTLY I PURCHASED FOUR PROPERTIES, ABANDONED TINY HOMES IN THE EAST END DISTRICT.
THEY'VE BEEN VACANT FOR TWO YEARS NOW.
UH, I TOOK UNIQUE LOOKING TINY HOMES AND TURNED THEM INTO ACTIVE HOTSPOTS FOR OUT OF TOWN TRAVELERS.
WE NOW WELCOME AN AVERAGE OF 200 TO 300 OUT OF TOWN GUESTS EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
UH, WE ALSO SHOWCASE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE PROPERTIES TO HELP KEEP TRAVEL DOLLARS IN THE EAST END.
PLATFORMS LIKE AIRBNB ALLOW AREAS DEEMED UNATTRACTIVE TO BE REIMAGINED, AND THIS HELPS OPPORTUNITY ZONES TO RECEIVE ATTENTION FROM INVESTORS LIKE MYSELF.
IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO IMPEDE THE INVESTMENT PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING IN PLACES LIKE THE EAST END BY RESTRICTING TRAVELERS' ABILITY TO USE AIRBNB IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SHORT-TERM RENTALS ALSO PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY DURING TIMES OF NEED.
AS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE RECENT EVENTS, UH, WITH SITTER POINT AFTER HURRICANE BURL, 2 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER AND LOCAL HOTELS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS AND STARTED CHARGING $800 A NIGHT FOR, FOR PROP, UH, HOMES THAT, OR ROOMS THAT WOULD NORMALLY GO FOR $200.
A LOT OF FAMILIES CAN'T AFFORD THAT KIND OF, UH, PRICE GOUGING AND EXPENSE.
IF CENTERPOINT CANNOT GUARANTEE THEY CAN KEEP THE LIGHTS ON DURING THE HURRICANE SEASON, THEN IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO RESTRICT PUBLIC'S ASSETS TO PLATFORMS THAT HELP DISTRESS CITIZENS FIND SHELTER.
ON THE VERY FIRST DAY OF THE OUTAGES, I RECEIVE AT LEAST ONE REQUEST EVERY 10 MINUTES.
GUESTS SAYING, DO YOU HAVE POWER? I HAVE ELDERLY PARENTS THAT NEED AC, DO YOU HAVE POWER? MY KIDS NEED RELIEF FROM THE HEAT.
YOU COULD FEEL THE DESPERATION IN EVERY MESSAGE.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUST KEEP AIRBNB ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY DURING NATURAL DISASTERS.
IT COULD BE A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH IN SOME CASES.
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT RESTRICTIVE AIRBNB REGULATIONS CAN HAVE ON OUR CITY.
AS OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, WE SHOULD EMBRACE INNOVATIVE PLATFORMS LIKE AIRBNB.
MY BELIEF IS THAT THEY PROVIDE FAR MORE BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY THAN HARM.
LET'S CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE THE ROLE OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN HOUSTON, ENSURING THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BE A POSITIVE FORCE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO A GREAT WAY FOR ME TO FEED MY FAMILY.
GILBERT
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL AND CONSTITUENTS AND HOUSTONIANS.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WRITTEN, BUT I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE SOME QUICK POINTS.
UH, NOTICE SOME OF THE DATA REFERENCED THAT, UH, IT MAPS ANY POLICE CALLS AND 3 1 1 CALLS WITHIN 300 FEET.
UH, WHEN 3 1 1 AND POLICE CALLS, THEY ACTUALLY MAP TO SPECIFIC ADDRESSES.
SO SOME OF THAT DATA MIGHT NEED TO BE REFINED.
YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THAT FROM A DATA PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UH, JUST TO GET INTO JUST THE QUESTION ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTALS IN HOUSTON.
HOUSTON HAS A GREAT PROBLEM THAT MANY LARGE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHICH THEY HAD RIGHT NOW, AND THAT IS THE CITY'S INNER CORE, IS BEING REDEVELOPED PRIVATELY EN MASS RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO OTHER METROS.
AND SO THAT'S BEEN A HUGE ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO HOUSTONIANS, TO THE CITY, TO HARRIS COUNTY, HISD FROM A TAX PERSPECTIVE.
BUT ASIDE FROM THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT, LET'S ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S IMPACTED SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS RANGE FROM PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE DEVELOPERS, UH, PRIMARILY IN DISTRICT D, WHICH IS A HISTORICALLY, YOU KNOW, DISTRESSED, UH, IGNORED COMMUNITY.
YOU GUYS CAN JUST LOOK IN THE LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS AND SEE HOW DISTRICT D ITSELF HAS BEEN REDEVELOPED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S BROUGHT A TON OF OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY FOR AIRBNB HOSTS, BUT ALSO FOR ARBITRAGES WHO MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE CREDIT OR MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY A BUILDING, BUT THEY HAVE A SMALL VIABLE, SMALL BUSINESS THAT ALSO IN TURN EMPLOYS PEOPLE LIKE CLEANERS THAT ACTUALLY LIVE IN THESE SAME DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? SO WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL BEFORE YOU, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE CITY MAKES ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, DETERMINATIONS ON HOW THEY WOULD POSSIBLY RESTRICT OR LIMIT SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
BECAUSE LET'S BE, YOU KNOW, VERY TRANSPARENT WITH EACH OTHER.
THERE'S A BENEFIT THAT THE CITY GETS AND THE CONSTITUENTS AND MEMBERS AS WELL.
SO WE JUST WANT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP HOUSTON WHAT IT IS.
[02:00:01]
LAIA GARDNER TO BE FOLLOWED BY DE GUTIERREZ.ALRIGHT, UH, GUTIERREZ, IS THAT HIM? DAN WYNN.
DAN WYNN TO BE FOLLOWED BY RASHAD HUMPHREY.
I'LL MAKE THIS, UM, REALLY QUICK.
I'M SORRY, WHAT'S YOUR NAME, SIR? UH, DAMARIS.
SO, UM, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF, UM, HAVING, UM, FOR AIRBNBS FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
AND SO, UM, JUST FROM WHAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO SIDES.
THERE'S PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH WITH THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, AND THEY'RE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UM, INVESTMENTS, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, SHORT TERM RENTALS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS A VOICE.
UM, SO WE CAN REALLY, UM, MAKE DECISIONS BASED OFF, YOU KNOW, JUST ONE SIDE, YOU KNOW, JUST TO ECHO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, THE WELCOMING GUESTS, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, PROFESSIONALS, UM, YOU KNOW, ATHLETES, ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I, I THINK AN APPROACH THE, THE CITY MIGHT TAKE WILL BE, FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR SOME OF THESE TROUBLE ADDRESSES AND, AND MAYBE YOU NEED TO LOOK INTO SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINTS ALWAYS COME FROM AND NOT REALLY LIKE BASING, UH, THIS LIKE, OR LIKE MAKING EVERY OTHER HOST GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE STRINGENCY OF, OF ANY ACTIONS YOU'RE GONNA TAKE.
AND THEN, UM, FINALLY, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE CAN ALSO PULL UP RECORDS, UH, 9 1 1 CALLS FROM HOTELS AS WELL.
IT'S NOT JUST SHORT TERM RENTALS, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE, THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A CALL.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THAT, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
WE'LL NEXT HEAR FROM DAN WYNN.
RASHAD HUMPHREY, STELLA, O OS, STELLA OZAKI, DENISE WOODS, DENISE WOODS, GRACE, JUAN JUANO, UH, LISTEN ENOUGH, SORRY TO BE FOLLOWED BY NOEL FREEMAN OR NOEL FREEMAN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, GRACE JUANJO
BUT, UH, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR HAVING THIS, THIS MEETING.
AND I, I, UM, WILL FIRST START OFF BY BY SPEAKING ABOUT A WEBSITE THAT WAS PRIOR TO AIRBNB WAS CALLED COUCH SURFING.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH COUCH SURFING, BUT, UH, WHEN I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE IN 2008, I COUCH SURFED ACROSS EUROPE AND THAT IS A FREE IMAGINE AIRBNB, BUT FOR FREE.
SO I WENT AND STAYED WITH, WITH STRANGERS AND THEY SHOWED ME AROUND EUROPE FOR THE SUMMER OF 2008.
AND, UM, JUST LIKE THE NAME, YOU JUST SLEEP ON PEOPLE'S COUCH AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
BECAUSE I GOT A CHANCE TO, UM, BE WITH THE LOCALS, AND THEY TOOK ME AROUND THE CITY LIKE I WAS A SISTER, LONG LOST SISTER.
AND SO I, AS A HOST NOW HAVE TRANSFERRED SOME OF THAT, UM, UH, FRIENDLINESS OR THAT COMRADERY, UM, TO SHOW GUESTS THAT TRAVEL HERE TO HOUSTON ABOUT THE GREAT CITY THAT I'M FROM.
UM, SO AS A HOST SINCE 2017, AIRBNB HAS PROFESSIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY CHANGED MY LIFE.
UM, SO AS THE SAYING GOES, WE CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER WITH EVERY INDUSTRY.
THERE'S GOOD AND BAD, UM, BUT THE BAD SEEMS TO BE, IN MY EXPERIENCE, JUST OUTLIERS, THEIR EMOTIONAL AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, BAD EXPERIENCES.
BUT, UM, IT, IT'S NOT THE NORM.
I'VE HOSTED WOMEN COMING TO GIVE BIRTH TO CHILDREN, WEDDING RECEPTIONS, TRAVELING NURSES, EVEN A GUEST IN 2017 THAT STAYED WITH ME IN MY PERSONAL HOME, UM, FOR THREE MONTHS, SHE WAS IN MY WEDDING LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, UM, SO GUESTS HAVE, HAVE, HAVE, UH, TRANSPIRED INTO LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS.
[02:05:01]
HAVE TALKED ABOUT RECENTLY DURING, UM, THE HURRICANE BARREL HOSTING FAMILIES DURING INSURANCE CLAIMS. SO, UM, I COULD TALK MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW I SEND OUT LOCAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO RESTAURANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, TO THE ATTRACTIONS IN HOUSTON THAT BENEFIT HOUSTON ECONOMICALLY.BUT I WILL JUST, UM, SAY THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT EVERYBODY.
THANK NOEL FREEMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARIA ELENA PMO.
SO, I, UH, I AM PROUD TO BE AN AIRBNB SUPERHOST EXCLUSIVE TO AIRBNB.
PLUS I MAINTAIN ABOUT AN 80% OCCUPANCY RATE, WHICH IS VERY HIGH IN THIS MARKET, AND ALSO MAINTAIN A FIVE STAR RATING.
UH, MY, MY RENTAL IS IN THE HEIGHTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LOT OF COMPASSION FOR THE FOLKS WHO HAVE HAD NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES THAT GIVE ALL OF US GOOD HOSTS A BAD NAME.
AND I'M CONSTANTLY DEFENDING WHAT WE DO BECAUSE THESE, THESE BAD ACTORS.
BUT TO INSINUATE THAT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS WITHIN 300 FEET OF MY RENTAL IS SOMEHOW MY FAULT, OR MY RENTAL IS ATTRIBUTED TO THAT IS A BIT DISINGENUOUS.
I HAVE HOSTED MORE THAN 600 BOOKINGS, ZERO COMPLAINTS, 0 3 1 1 CALLS, 0 9 1 1 CALLS.
THE WORST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED AT MY UNIT IS A GUEST BROKE THE TOILET.
AND I HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT, NOT MY NEIGHBORS.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA, I WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT THESE SORT OF BIG GOVERNMENT ORDINANCES ARE GROSSLY INEFFECTIVE FROM THEIR INCEPTION.
AND I WILL USE AUSTIN AS AN EXAMPLE.
YOU SAW IN THE SLIDES, AUSTIN ESTABLISHED THEIR ORDINANCE IN 20 12, 14 YEARS LATER.
TODAY, 14 YEARS LATER, APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN AUSTIN ARE STILL UNLICENSED.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE ALL OF THESE ORDINANCES HAVE A COMPLAINT BASED ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM.
SO THE GOOD HOSTS LIKE ME, PEOPLE DON'T COMPLAIN, SO I DON'T SHOW UP ON THE CITY'S RADAR.
SO YOU HAVE THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF FOLKS WHO ARE OUT THERE LIKE ME, AND ALL THE HOSTS THAT I KNOW WHO ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING, WE'RE NOT CAUSING A PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S WHY AUSTIN HAS STRUGGLED AND STRUGGLED AND STRUGGLED TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO REGISTER.
BECAUSE IF I'M DOING THE RIGHT THING AND I'M NOT GETTING COMPLAINTS, WHY DO I WANT TO GO SPEND A THOUSAND DOLLARS ON A LICENSE AND $500 A YEAR ON A RENEWAL WHEN I'M ALREADY DOING THE RIGHT THING? AIRBNB HAS PHYSICALLY INSPECTED MY RENTAL TWICE TO MAINTAIN STANDARDS AND TO MAKE SURE IT'S AS ADVERTISED.
MARIA ELENA TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANGELA WILLIAMS. TRULY.
UH, MY NAME IS MARIA ELENA PMU.
ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.
UH, BUT I WANT TO, UM, UH, SUPPORT WHAT MOST OF THE SUPERHOST AND, AND HOSTS.
UH, WERE SAYING, UH, I'VE BEEN SUPERHOST FOR SEVEN YEARS.
AND OF COURSE, IT'S A MATTER OF, UH, AVERAGE NUMBER.
UH, YOU HAVE SOME, UH, ISSUES THAT YOU ADDRESS, BUT AIRBNB AND PLATFORM LIKE B-R-B-R-B-O, UM, THEY HAVE, UM, A SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT HELP YOU TO, TO DEAL WITH THAT THINGS.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT HELP FOR THE LOCAL BUSINESSES AS WELL AS MY PA MY, UH, FELLOW PARTNER SAYS THE SAME.
AND ALSO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR, UH, PROPERTIES, WHAT WE DO IS WE, UH, EVEN IF AIRBNB AS, UH, IDENTIFICATION, WE ALSO BEFORE TO GIVE THE CODE, WE ASK, UH, IDENTIFICATION OFFICIALLY.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM BECAUSE WE, UH, TAKE CARE ALL THE THINGS, AND WE TRY TO HELP ALSO THE CLEANERS AND, AND, AND MAKE ALL THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, RIVER LIGHT REVITALIZE AS WELL.
SO, IN MY OPINION IS WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE IT GROWING ALL THIS KIND OF BUSINESS, BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN THIS ECONOMY, IT IS HELP AND IT'S SOMETHING FLEXIBLE FOR PEOPLE LIKE US THAT WE, WE CAN HELP MANY PEOPLE.
ANGELA WILLIAMS. TRULY, ANGELA WILLIAMS. TRULY, ANN GARCIA, ANN GARCIA, SHANNON DADE TO BE FOLLOWED BY TYSON GRAY.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING AS WELL.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? UM, I AM IN A UNIQUE POSITION IN THAT I OWN THREE SHORT TERM RENTALS,
[02:10:01]
BUT I ALSO HAVE BEEN IN A YEAR LONG BATTLE WITH AIRBNB BECAUSE MY HOME RESIDES NEXT TO A VERY DISRUPTIVE, DISRUPTIVE, SHORT-TERM RENTAL.AND I CAN SAY THAT IT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVED, KNOCK ON WOOD, BECAUSE OF THE MEASURES THAT I HAVE TAKEN.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU.
NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT EVENTUALLY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID WAS EMPOWER MY NEIGHBORS AND GAVE THEM STEPS TO CALLING AIRBNB AND CALLING THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE H-P-H-P-H-D WHEN IT WAS NON-EMERGENCY, AND TAKING STEPS TO GET THIS AIRBNB, THIS SHORT TERM RENTAL THAT'S NEXT TO OUR HOME, TAKEN OFF OF AIRBNB.
AND I DID OTHER THINGS IN MY HOMES AND MY SHORT TERM RENTALS TO ENSURE THAT I MAINTAIN MY SUPERHOST POSITION, AS WELL AS TO EMPOWER MY NEIGHBORS AND MY AIRBNB GUESTS WHO WERE ALSO BEING AFFECTED BY THIS SHORT TERM RENTAL NEXT DOOR TO US.
UM, I LIKE THE IDEA OF AFTER SO MANY TIMES, THIS IS, THIS SHORT TERM RENTAL IS TAKING OFF THE MARKET AS A HOMEOWNER.
I DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA AND I CRINGE AT DEED RESTRICTIONS AND ORDINANCES, UM, BECAUSE AS MY COLLEAGUES SPOKE EARLIER, WE'RE BEING PUNISHED AS GOOD HOST WHEN WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO WELCOME PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHO SPEND MONEY.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THAT I, I HAVE BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY AND I CAN GIVE FEEDBACK AS TO HOW WE CAN SUCCESSFULLY AS A HOMEOWNER HAVE A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR HOST AND, AND MY NEIGHBORS.
SHANNON DADE, I'M SORRY, THAT WAS YOU.
TYSON GRAY, JUAN HOS OROS, JUAN LOPEZ, MEINA, AHAB SHUKRI, KAYLEE BOLDEN, KAYLEE BOLDEN, IISHA COOPER, OR ALICIA COOPER.
ANDREW GGI LEVY, BARNES BRYANT ROLOFF, BRYANT ROLOFF, OR SILA JESSE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JANET FAULKNER.
I AM A, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTAL HOST, AND I WANTED TO SAY I'M SORRY FOR SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THAT SOME OF THE FOLKS HAVE EXPERIENCED.
UM, I'M A CO-FOUNDER OF THE RESPONSIBLE STR HOSTS.
SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD MY STORY, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T, I CAME TO HOUSTON, UM, AS A MEDICAL TOURIST.
I WAS A CANCER PATIENT AND WAS AT MD ANDERSON.
UM, AFTER GOING THROUGH CANCER TREATMENTS, UH, PRETTY RIGOROUS ONES, I DECIDED ULTIMATELY THAT I WANTED TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY FAMILY.
'CAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN.
I THEN DECIDED TO START HOSTING.
SO, BECAUSE IT ENABLED ME TO HAVE SOME MORE TIME WITH MY FAMILY.
UM, AND I ALSO STAYED AT SHORT-TERM RENTALS, AND MY FAMILY DID TOO DURING THIS TIME BECAUSE WE FOUND THAT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE TOGETHER AND TO HAVE A SHORT-TERM STAY.
HOTELS JUST DON'T WORK THE SAME WAY WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH TREATMENT.
MANY OF MY GUESTS, LIKE MANY OF MY OTHER RESPONSIBLE HOSTS HERE, UM, HAVE PATIENTS, CANCER PATIENTS, CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS ILLNESSES THAT JUST NEED SOMEWHERE PRIVATE TO STAY.
PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING HERE, PEOPLE FLEEING HURRICANES AS OTHER RESPONSIBLE HOSTS HERE HAVE SAID, WE WERE CONSTANTLY GETTING HIT UP DURING DERECHO AND DURING BARREL CONSTANTLY.
PEOPLE WITH BABIES, PEOPLE WITH ELDERLY PARENTS, PEOPLE WERE DESPERATE.
AND IT BROKE MY HEART THAT I HAD TO TURN A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE AWAY.
BUT WHAT THAT TOLD ME WAS THERE WAS A SERIOUS NEED, AND IT'S SCRS OR, YOU KNOW, SHORT, SHORTER TERM STAYS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS THAT WILL INEVITABLY HAPPEN HERE IN HOUSTON IN THE FUTURE.
SO, JUST QUICKLY, I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, US AS RESPONSIBLE HOSTS WOULD WANNA SEAT AT THE TABLE WITH WHATEVER ORDINANCE OR REGISTRATION, UM, IS, IS HAPPENING.
[02:15:01]
WANT THE CITY TO BE MUCH MORE NUANCED ABOUT THE STR PROPERTIES AND UNDERSTANDING IF COMPLAINTS ARE REAL OR NOT AS WELL.SO THESE COMPLAINTS DO NEED TO BE VETTED.
I WANT JUST REAL QUICK DRAWING, ANY CONCLUSIONS BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY DATA THAT WAS SHOWN.
THE NUMBER OF S STRS, 3 1 1 CALLS, ET CETERA, ARE LIKELY CORRELATED TO THE HOUSING DENSITY, WHICH THIS CHART DID NOT SHOW.
IT ONLY SHOWED 3 1 1 CALLS AND SHORT TERM RENTALS AND NOT THE ACTUAL HOUSING DENSITY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN THA THANKS FOR COMING.
I MEAN, WE KNOW THERE ARE GOOD HOSTS OUT THERE.
I MEAN, YEAH, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A BAN YEAH, BECAUSE THEY DON'T EVEN HOLD UP.
UM, BUT WE HAVE NO MECHANISM BY WHICH TO GET AT THE BAD ACTORS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.
UM, BUT OF COURSE, YOU WILL HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE WHEN SOMETHING'S DEVELOPED.
YOUR, YOUR VOICES ARE IMPORTANT AND, UM, EVERYONE'S ARE.
UH, BUT THANKS FOR COMING AND THANKS FOR GETTING ORGANIZED.
AND ABSOLUTELY, WE, WE DO WANNA BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AS WELL.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OTHER HOSTS LEARN HOW TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, JANET FAULKNER.
JANET FAULKNER, GABRIEL LUHAN.
EVANGELINE CARITAS AIDAS, JOHANNA WILLIAMS, FOLLOWED BY TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERT SHERMAN.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
THE REST OF THE PEOPLE PROBABLY HAD TO GO MOVE THEIR CARS 'CAUSE THEIR METER RAN OUT.
AND WE GOT A TEXT MESSAGE JUST SAID, DO SO.
FIRST OF ALL, I AM A RESPONSIBLE SUPERHOST FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS WITH AIRBNB.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT MY GUESTS HAVE POSTED ON THEIR WEBSITE BASED ON THE STAY.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY HOME.
MY HOME IS CLEAN, COMFORTABLE, AND QUIET.
I PROVIDE PRIVATE BEDROOMS NEAR DOWNTOWN MEDICAL CENTER IN HOUSTON AND NEAR PEARL LAND.
I OFFER MY GUEST SERIOUS COLLEGE STUDENTS, BUSINESS TRAVELERS, A CONVENIENT AND AFFORDABLE, SAFE PLACE.
WE ARE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF PARA LAND ALSO, THESE ARE SOME OF THE GUESTS.
JEREMY, A MEDICAL STUDENT WHO IS NOW AN MD.
DURING HIS LAST, UM, MONTHS OF TRAINING, HE SAID JOANNA'S PLACE IS AMAZING.
ALWAYS FELT SAFE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE.
GUESTS WERE NICE AND HOSPITABLE.
THE HOME FELT LIKE A FAMILY SPACE.
I WOULD RECOMMEND HER 10 OUTTA 10.
NOW HE CAN ONLY GIVE ME A FIVE.
ANOTHER LADY WHO IS RELOCATING TO HOUSTON WORKS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
CLOSING HER COMMENTS LAST MONTH.
LACKED NOTHING COMFORTABLE, CLEAR MORALS, VALUES.
SHE'S FUN, NONJUDGMENTAL, ACCOUNTABILITY, TRUSTED VALUE OF HER COMMUNITY BECAUSE SHE SPOKE TO MY NEIGHBORS.
THIS PLACE TRULY HAS ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME.
ANOTHER GUEST WHO STAYED WITH ME FROM SOUTH KOREA.
ALL I COULD HAVE COULD HAVE ASKED FOR AND EVEN BETTER.
AND THE FINAL WAS A TRAVEL NURSE STAYED WITH ME, SIX MONTHS, SPECIAL LADY HOSPITALITY, PHENOMENAL.
FELT RIGHT AT HOME, CLEAN, WELL EQUIPPED, AND I'M GONNA MISS THE TIME I HAD TO SPEND TALKING AND WALKING WITH HER IN THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, MS. WILLIAMS. I AM A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, COLLEGE OF CONRAD HILTON HOTEL AND RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SHARE.
ROBERT SHERMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY TIFFANY JACKSON.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SHARE WITH EVERYBODY THAT I'M COMING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN DISTRICT G THAT ARE CONSISTENT OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND CONDOS AND TOWN HOMES, NOT FROM THE HOTEL STYLE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK NANCY YANG AND GAIL ROH FOR THEIR ACCOUNT OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, I KNOW THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN CHARACTERIZED AS HYSTERICAL AND EMOTIONAL, BUT I CHALLENGE ANYBODY WHO BELIEVES THAT TO SEE THE VIDEO.
I THINK ALMOST ALL OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SEEN THAT VIDEO.
[02:20:01]
THIS, THIS VIDEO, IT CONFIRMS EVERYTHING THEY SAY, BUT THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS, IS NOT JUST WITH THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, IT'S WITH OWNERS WHO ALSO ARE OPERATING PARTY HOUSES.AND THESE PARTY HOUSES ARE, AS MS. ROWAN SAID, THERE, AFTER HOURS JOINTS RUN BY ORGANIZED CRIMINAL GROUPS.
UM, THE PROBLEM IS THE CITY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CITY LEGAL IS NOT ADDRESSING IT AS IT'S A CRIMINAL ORGANIZED, ORGANIZED CRIMINAL PROJECT.
HOUSTON VICE DIVISION HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY USELESS AND HAD, HAS NOT BEEN ANY RESPONSE TO ANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS.
THIS IS AN ONGOING TREND OF AFTER HOURS CLUBS MOVING INTO THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
HOUSTON POLICE PATROL HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT BETTER, BUT THEY HANDLE IT WITH ALL THE URGENCY OF A, UH, A SWEET 16 LOUD MUSIC COMPLAINT RATHER THAN AN A ILLICIT ESTABLISHMENT THAT'S RUNNING PROSTITUTION AND DRUGS.
NO ONE HAS TAKEN THIS SERIOUS.
WE'VE BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD TO DEAL WITH THIS IS TO THE CHAPTER 1 25 COMMON NUISANCE LAWSUITS.
AND, AND THAT BROUGHT US A GREAT RAY OF HOPE UNTIL WE RESEARCHED IT AND FOUND OUT THAT THESE LAWSUITS ARE FILED BY THE CITY.
UH, IF I MAY JUST GIVE YOU THE FIGURE ON THE, ON THE LAWSUITS.
THE CITY IN THE, IN THE PROCEEDING 18 MONTHS, CITY LEGAL FILED ONLY 15 OF THESE LAWSUITS.
THE HPD SUBMITTED 43 41, UH, EXCUSE ME, 41 FOR, FOR, UH, PROSECUTION.
63% OF THEM WERE ED BY CITY LEGAL.
TASHA SNIPES, DEAN, THE DEAN THEOF.
BECKY EDMONDSON, BECKY EDMONDSON, JEANE, ARCHER AAMA, ALPHA BARRY, FRANK NAM, PHIL DEHE, EDMUND SMITH, SAGE MADISON AUS CASTILLA AUS CASTILLA TRUMAN EDM MINSTER JOSHUA HOLTZ LANE.
TO BE FOLLOWED BY MELLY ELA TORRES.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD, I THOUGHT MY TURN WOULD NEVER COME.
I AM LANE LOU WELLEN AND I REPRESENT THE WHAM CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
WHAM STANDS FOR WESTHEIMER, ALABAMA, MONTROSE AND MULBERRY.
WE ARE A VERY ACTIVE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, ALL VOLUNTEER IN THE MONTROSE AREA.
I CAME OUT TODAY BASICALLY TO THANK AND SUPPORT MY FELLOW NEIGHBORS AND HOUSTONIANS, HPD AND 3 1 1 FOR DOING THE BEST THAT THEY COULD UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN DEALING WITH CONCERNING THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
MY ONLY JUST QUESTION, AND I'M SO SORRY THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAS, YOU KNOW, GONE AT THIS POINT, WAS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'VE GIVEN UP ALREADY, UM, ON EVEN ENFORCING OR EVEN THINKING ABOUT PROTECTING THEIR CITIZENS.
SO I I JUST FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THEY, THEY, THEY DON'T, THEY JUST GAVE UP BASICALLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT THESE CITIES THAT HAVE PLACED THESE LAWS IN PLACE, AND THEY HAVE NOW HAD LAWSUITS AND THINGS COMING BACK TO THEM.
I THINK BASICALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS THEY WERE SO FRUSTRATED AND SO UPSET AND SO CRAZED OVER WHAT THEY WERE DEALING WITH.
THEY, THEY JUST WENT TOO QUICK.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THEY'VE GIVEN UP ON SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULDN'T GIVE UP ON.
UH, AND I, I, I DISAGREE WITH THEIR OPINION.
UH, RESPECTFULLY, I WANNA THANK SALLY ALCORN AND ABBY CAME IN FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.
UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS KNOWN AS THE WILD, WILD WEST WHEN IT COMES TO SHORT TERM RENTALS.
[02:25:01]
BADLY FOR, UH, THE GOOD ONES, THE GOOD HOSTS, BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE.SO WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO END WITH THIS.
WHAT ARE Y'ALL GONNA DO FOR US? ARE YOU GOING TO ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE THAT'S IN PLACE? THANK YOU.
MELLY ELA TORRES, ANNIE SFA, BOB CHOAT, YOU'RE ON THE LIST.
WELL,
AND THEY HAVE A POOL AND THEY HAVE A YOUNG DAUGHTER WHO SCREAMS EVERY TIME THEY'RE IN A POOL.
AND I'VE COME TO ACCEPT THAT AS, GOSH DARN, AT LEAST THE KIDS IN THE POOL, AND THEY'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME.
BUT I ALSO LOOK AT THAT HOME AND SAY, THANK GOD IT'S NOT ONE OF THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT, BECAUSE I WOULD BE TAKING THE LAW IN MY OWN HANDS, AND I'M AFRAID SOMEBODY ELSE IS GONNA DO THAT.
IN ONE OF THESE SITUATIONS, AND AS SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE SAID, WHEN ARE THESE ORDINANCES GONNA BE ENFORCED? NOW WE GOT A HUNDRED LAWYERS, 100 LAWYERS IN THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
THEY JUST STRAP ON A SET OF BALLS.
MARIA WILLIAMS. MARIA WILLIAMS. SAY ABO SAY ABO DOROTHY HOLINSKI TO BE FOLLOWED BY DANIEL CASSI.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT MY CITY THAT I'VE LIVED IN FOR 49 YEARS, AND SOON I'M PUTTING MY HOME ON THE MARKET.
ALL MY GRANDCHILDREN LIVE HERE, AND I LIVE IN FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY IN THE CITY I LIVE IN NEAR THE RICE UNIVERSITY AREA.
ALTHOUGH THERE HAD BEEN A BUILDING THAT WAS JUST BUILT THERE ON MORNINGSIDE, WHERE NUDE PEOPLE WERE SCREAMING AND HOLLERING, THROWING THINGS, FOUND OUT IT WAS ONE OF THE AIRBNBS, MY SWEET NEIGHBORS WHO WERE DOCTORS.
THEY SAID THEY CAN'T TAKE HOUSTON ANYMORE.
AND THAT SOMEBODY THAT WAS GOING TO RUN AN AIRBNB WANTED TO SELL IT, WANTED TO BUY IT.
AND THEY SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, THIS IS A LOT BIGGER ISSUE THAN THE, UH, THESE AIRBNBS, I LOVE SMALL BUSINESSES.
I AM IN SUCH SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
IN FACT, I'M VERY UPSET TO SEE MANY OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO BE RUN OUT OF WRIGHTS UNIVERSITY AREA WHILE BIG, HUGE BUILDINGS ARE GOING UP.
I JUST SHUDDER AT THE THOUGHT OF IT.
SO I SUPPORT ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE WITH THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THAT'S WHO I ALWAYS SUPPORT.
BUT THERE HAS TO BE A HAPPY MEDIUM.
WOULD YOU, I'M LOOKING AT ALL OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, WOULD YOU FIND A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE YOU KNEW WHEN YOU GOT UP IN THE MORNING, YOU WERE GONNA LOOK OUT AND THE BALCONY ACROSS THE STREET HAD TWO MEN HAVING A**L SEX? WOULD YOU BUY THERE AFTER YOU'D SPENT A FORTUNE ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU LIVED IN? WOULD YOU BUY THERE IF YOU WOKE UP AND WERE TAKING YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL AND THEY WERE HAVING SEX AND SCREAMING AND YELLING AND WALKING NUDE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THE HOUSES RUN INTO $2 MILLION DOWN THE STREET FROM HOUSTON COUNTRY CLUB WHERE MY THREE CHILDREN LIVE, I'M SHAKING BECAUSE I'M SO PARALYZED BY WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HOUSTON.
I'LL BE LEAVING WITH EVERY BREATH I HAVE.
I'LL STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE I WILL FIGHT BACK, AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE IT.
THE POWERS THAT IT BE IN THIS CITY HAVE ALLOWED US TO GET TO THIS POINT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU TO CHANGE THE HORRORS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS CITY, AND WE NEED TO CLEAN HOUSE.
DANIEL KASI TO BE FOLLOWED BY GINA SYLVESTER, CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU.
I ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO EXERCISE GOOD JUDGMENT AND BE MINDFUL OF THE POSITIVE, NEGATIVE AND UN UH, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF WHATEVER REGULATION COMES DOWN THE THE LINE.
AND, UH, I THINK I SPEAK FOR EVERYONE WHEN I, I SAY I HOPE YOU'LL STRIKE A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN SUPPORTING CONSCIENTIOUS GOOD SUPERHOSTS WHO ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND, UH, STOPPING THE EXCESSES OF RECKLESS, ABSENT AND EXPLOITATIVE HOSTS.
GINA SYLVESTER TO BE FOLLOWED BY TED POWELL.
[02:30:01]
MEETING.I'M PRESIDENT OF THE BRAEBURN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 30 AND, UH, VICE PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW OF ROBINDALE CIVIC CLUB, WHICH IS AN HOA, UH, PREVIOUSLY FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS BEFORE THAT, I WAS PRESIDENT OF THAT GROUP.
UM, AND I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT THIS, UH, BROUGHT THIS CONVERSATION, UH, TOGETHER AND ALLOWED US TO TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, WE MAY BE ONE OF THE FEW HOAS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE FILED, UH, AN AMENDMENT OR AN ADDENDUM TO OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS, UH, PREVENTING SHORT TERM RENTALS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN ROBINDALE.
AND I'M GONNA SPEAK SPECIFICALLY FOR ROBINDALE BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS OF MY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ARE DOING ABOUT THIS.
UM, WHEN I BECAME PRESIDENT 2021, WE HAD THE SAME ISSUES THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, UM, WITH REGARD TO LOUD NOISES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND SO WE DECIDED IN 2022 TO, UH, VOTE ON AN, AN ADDENDUM AND ADD AN ADDENDUM, WHICH STATES THAT SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ROBINDALE TO BE RENTED FOR LESS THAN 28 DAYS.
AND 28 DAYS IS BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE AN ANNUAL, IF YOU WERE RENT FOR A YEAR, BUT YOU HAVE TO EXTEND THAT WITHOUT A LEASE, THEN, UH, THE SHORTEST MONTH IS 28 DAYS.
SO THAT'S, SO THAT'S, THAT'S FILED WITH THE COUNTY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, IF THAT IS GONNA BE UPHELD.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO ABOUT, UM, GRANDFATHERING SOME OF THESE BAD PLAYERS.
I KNOW WE'RE HEARING FROM A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE THAT ARE SHARING THEIR HOMES, BUT MY PERSONAL CONCERN IS THE BREAKDOWN OF COMMUNITY.
THERE'S BEEN A CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION ABOUT THESE INVESTORS THAT ARE BUYING UP NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM THAT IS LEADING TO THE BREAKDOWN OF COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT PART OF THAT IS THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
SO HAVE Y'ALL HAD TO TRY TO ENFORCE YOUR DEED RESTRICTIONS YET OR NOT? WE HAVE.
UM, AND I'VE ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A COUPLE OF THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, UH, ATTORNEYS WHO HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY'RE REALLY NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF SUPPORTING DEED RESTRICTIONS.
HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN THEIR, UH, IN THEIR ACCOUNTS TO TAKE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE TO COURT ABOUT THE, ABOUT ISSUES THAT WE'VE GOT.
THERE'S BEEN, I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID THAT, UM, SOME OF THESE CITY ORDINANCES ARE NOT BEING SUPPORTED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SIDNEY OR ORDINANCES ON THE BOOKS, BUT A LOT OF 'EM ARE NOT BEING SUPPORTED.
THIS WOULD JUST BE ANOTHER ONE.
HOW ARE YOU GOING, HOW ARE YOU GONNA SUPPORT THIS? HOW ARE YOU GONNA DO THIS? UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG QUESTION IN MY MIND.
BUT THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN, UM, AND BUYING A LOT OF PROPERTIES, ROBIN DALE'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
AFTER HARVEY, PEOPLE CAME IN, BOUGHT THOSE LITTLE HOUSES, AND THEY, THEY ARE SMALLER HOMES.
TWO 50 TO 400030% OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NOW IS RENTALS.
WE PROBABLY HAVE SIX TO 12 AT ANY GIVEN TIME, SIX TO 12, UH, AIRBNB, OR I'D USE AN AIRBNB AS A, AS A, AN UMBRELLA, UH, OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
BUT, AND THEN TRY TO GET THE BAD PLAYERS OUT OF THERE.
WE CAN CALL THE COMPANIES, BUT THE COMPANIES, THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE RENTING THESE HOUSES THAT OWN THESE HOUSES JUST JUMP TO ANOTHER COMPANY.
THERE'S NO RELU, THERE'S NO RESOLUTION.
SO I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THIS IS BREAKING DOWN BECAUSE THESE OWNERS DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE CHURCHES.
THEY DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHOOLS.
THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND IN OUR HOA BUSINESSES ARE NOT ALLOWED.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UHHUH
HELLO, MY NAME IS TED POWELL, RETIRED CHEMICAL ENGINEER I GOT INVOLVED IN 34 YEARS AGO IN THE, UM, HOUSTON RENTAL MARKET AS A SIDE GIG.
UM, SO I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE LONG-TERM RENTALS, UH, SINCE 1990 AND CURRENTLY HAVE TWO RESTORE 1920 BUNGALOWS, UH, THAT I OPERATE AS, AS LONG TERM RENTALS IN THE HOUSTON HEIGHTS AREA.
I'VE OPERATED SHORT, SHORT TERM RENTALS BACK WHEN, WHEN HARDLY ANYBODY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM SINCE 2011 AND IN THE HOUSTON AREA SINCE 2016, WHERE I CURRENTLY HAVE TWO SITE HOSTED STR IN MONTROSE SITE HOST, I MEAN, I LIVE ON THE PROPERTY.
I BELIEVE THAT STR ARE AN IMPORTANT OFFERING IN AMERICA TODAY AND MAY SURPASS LTRS IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE.
[02:35:01]
MY HOUSTON SITE HOST STR IS OFFERED LODGING FOR SUMMER BUSINESS MEDICAL INTERN STUDENTS OUT OF STATE FOREIGN SENIORS VISITING THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN FOR A MONTH OR MORE, IF EVEN STATE, UM, OUTSTATE PATIENTS VISITING HOUSTON MEDICAL CENTER FOR SPECIALIZED TREATMENT.OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THIS.
UM, AND I HAVE 80 OVER 80% OCCUPANCY.
IT'S VERY POPULAR, THE RECENT GROWTH OF REMOTE WORK OPTIONS SINCE THE PANDEMIC FOR SINGLE PERSONS IS BEGINNING TO EXPAND, TO ALSO INCLUDE YOUNG COUPLES WHO ARE STARTING FAMILIES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TO HOUSING ISSUES FOR GEN ARE.
AND LIKE ANYTHING PREVIOUS GENERATIONS HAVE SEEN, IT BREAKS MY HEART FOR DECADES.
MY HOUSTON LTRS WERE HIGH, WERE HIGHLY DESIRED BY YOUNG COUPLES.
THESE WERE STARTER HOMES THAT I DID.
AND TODAY MY LTRS ARE OCCUPIED BY SINGLE PEOPLE.
IN FACT, MY MOST RECENT LEASE WAS WHERE THE THREE BEDROOM BUNGALOW I HAVE, THERE'S THREE SINGLE WOMEN UNRELATED WHO WORK IN THE MEDICAL CENTER.
THEY CAN'T AFFORD THIS IS THE BEST OPTION FOR THEM.
IN CONTRAST, I RECENTLY SIGNED A FIVE MONTH WINTER LEASE ON MY 500 SQUARE FOOT STR AND ON MY PROPERTY TO A MONTANA COUPLE FOR THE SECOND TIME.
THE BUSINESS MODEL IS FLIPPING.
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FINDING IT ECONOMICALLY INFEASIBLE TO BUY AND OPERATE A HOME AND OR MAKE A COMMITMENT TO RENT AND FURNISH A TRADITIONAL LTR STARTER HOME.
THEY HAVE TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE WITH THEIR JOB.
THEY ARE FINDING SMALLER, TINY HOUSE AUXILIARY DRILLING UNITS, ESPECIALLY FURNISH UNITS AND SDRS TO BE INCREASINGLY ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS.
AND, AND I THINK YOU SEE CALIFORNIA'S DOING THIS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN LOOK AT ON THE SIDE.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING IS THAT, OF COURSE, WHAT'S OBVIOUS AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT STR IS NOT A, NOT A MONOLITHIC ENTITY.
THERE'S MANY ASPECTS TO THIS, AND I'M BRINGING ONE IMPORTANT ONE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO YOU HERE.
UM, BUT IF I MAY JUST ADD, I'M IN DISTRICT C I'M SURROUNDED IN A, IN A HUNDRED YEAR OLD DISTRICT, A HUNDRED YEAR OLD HOUSE.
WHEN PEOPLE MENTIONED UP HERE ABOUT ENFORCING EXISTING ORDINANCES, WE HAVE BARS THAT SET UP SPECIAL EVENTS IN THEIR PARKING LOTS, SET UP BANDSTAND LOUD MUSIC.
THEY PLAYED OVER PAST MIDNIGHT.
I'VE, WE'VE CALLED THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD A SOUND METER AND THEY SAID, FRANK, FRANKLY, WE DON'T ENFORCE NOISE ORDINANCES.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS IT.
AND YES, NOISE, NOISE ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT IS, IS AN ISSUE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL.
DEBORAH ERO, ROBERT NUN DORF KRISTA COMER TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRANDON YARBOROUGH.
I CAME PREPARED TO MAKE ONE SET OF REMARKS, UM, WHICH HAVING HEARD FROM CITY LEGAL SEEMED TO HAVE DISQUALIFIED ENFORCING THE HOTEL ORDINANCE OR THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT.
AND, UH, I STAND WITH SOME OF MY WHAM, LIKE LAYING THE WHALE AND ASKING, WELL, ARE, IS THAT COMPLETELY OFF THE TABLE? OR JASON GINSBURG TOO? UM, BUT RESPONDING TO WHAT THE PLANNING STAFF WAS TELLING US, WHICH SEEMED TO BE A NEW PIECE OF INFORMATION TO ME, UM, THAT THERE WILL BE A REGISTRATION STIPULATION UPCOMING.
I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE STAKEHOLDER ASPECT OF THAT STIPULATION, BECAUSE SO FAR IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE NEED TO DEFEND PROPERTY RIGHTS, THAT WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT SOME PEOPLE'S PROPERTY RIGHTS AND NOT OTHERS.
SO FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, I'VE BEEN LIVING NEXT DOOR TO AN STR.
IT'S AN UPPER SCALE STR IT ADVERTISES NOT ON AIRBNB, BUT ON PEERSPACE AND GIG STAR.
THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS TAKEN FULL ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE GRAY AREAS AND NON-REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT OF OUR LAWS IN HOUSTON TO MONETIZE HER HOME AND SELL IT AS AN EVENT SPACE.
SHE SELLS FREE PARKING UP TO 75 SPACES ON OUR STREET.
SHE SELLS THE AMBIANCE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE HOURS PEOPLE CAN RENT ARE 6:00 AM TO 12:00 PM THIS EXAMPLE IS A KIND OF NUANCE ON WHAT YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THE BOTTOM FEEDER ST.
UM, AND IT ALSO ASKS US TO RETHINK WHAT WE THINK OF AS BAD ACTORS.
AND BY THE WAY, I DO BELIEVE OUR SUPERHOSTS HERE, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE, BUT SHE TOO IS A SUPERHOST AND THERE IS NO WAY FOR NEIGHBORS TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS SUPERHOST.
LIKE THERE'S NOT A FORMAT OR PLATFORM THAT WE CAN COMPLAIN TO PEERSPACE OR GIG STAR LIKE WE HAVE NO SAY.
SO IN OUR CASE, HER USE OF THE GRAY AREAS OF THE LAW IS ALLOWING HER TO HOLD THE NEIGHBORS AND NEIGHBORHOOD HOSTAGE TO WHAT ONE PROPERTY OWNER'S DESIRE IS FOR THEIR PERSONAL GAIN.
[02:40:01]
ELSE IS TAKING A BACK SEAT.SO, IN CLOSING, I REALLY, UH, WOULD LIKE NOT TO SEE THE, THE HOTEL ENFORCEMENT, UH, ORDINANCE COMPLETELY ABANDONED.
AND ALSO I DO WANNA KNOW WHAT THE STAKEHOLDER INVESTMENTS ARE BECAUSE IT CAN'T BE THAT ONLY ONE PROPERTY OWNER MATTERS IN A QUALITY OF LIFE CONVERSATION ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS.
MA'AM, MA'AM, WOULD YOU MIND SHARING YOUR INFORMATION WITH GLORIA ON MY STAFF? UH, MY INFORMATION IS MASSIVELY SHARED TO THE JORDAN FRAZIER, HPD.
AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL, BUT, UH, YEAH.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO IT AGAIN? THAT'S FINE.
BRANDON YARBOROUGH, JAMIE POIRIER TO BE FOLLOWED BY MILWAUKEE SIMS. MY NAME IS JAMIE POIRIER.
UH, MY FAMILY AND I MANAGE OUR SHORT, SHORT-TERM RENTAL BUSINESS THAT WE STARTED IN 2017.
OUR FOUR HOMES ARE LOCATED IN THE HEIGHTS AND RICE MILITARY NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE A 4.96, UH, STAR HOST RATING, AND WE'VE HOSTED HUNDREDS OF GUESTS STAYS OVER THE YEARS.
OUR GUESTS BOOK OUR HOMES FOR PRIMARILY ONE OF THREE REASONS.
THEY'RE HERE FOR WORK AND THEY WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE AT HOME.
THEY NEED SWING SPACE BECAUSE OF NATURAL DISASTERS OR HOME RENOVATIONS, LIKE WHEN ELECTRICITY GOES OUT AT THEIR HOMES AND THEY'RE IN TOWN FOR MEDICAL TREATMENTS.
AS A DATA POINT, 100% OF MY SHORT-TERM RENTALS, MY FOUR HOMES ARE RESERVED TODAY BY HOUSTONIANS WHO ARE REFUGEES OF DERECHO AND BARRELL.
RESTRICTING ACCESS TO SHORT TERM RENTALS IS ONLY GONNA MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO DO BUSINESS IN HOUSTON.
IT'S GONNA RESTRICT HA UH, SUPPLY OF HABITABILITY OF HOUSING AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS, OR MAKE THEIR ALREADY MISERABLE EXPERIENCE BEING IN HOUSTON FOR MEDICAL TREATMENTS EVEN MORE MISERABLE THAN IT ALREADY IS.
INSTEAD, WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF UPTIME WE HAVE FOR ELECTRICAL SERVICE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS AND FUTURE HURRICANE SEASONS.
CENTERPOINT SAYS THAT THERE ARE STILL HOUSTONIANS WITHOUT POWER TODAY.
UH, WE SHOULD HELP OUR FLOOD CONTROL AND WE SHOULD BE CLEANING UP THE TRASH AND DEBRIS THAT'S ALL OVER THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, WEEKS AFTER DERECHO AND DE BARREL, MONTHS AFTER DERECHO, THERE IS TRASH AND DEBRIS EVERYWHERE THAT IS STILL NOT BEING CLEANED UP.
ARE WE NOT EMBARRASSED BY THIS? AND WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
ARE, ARE THESE REALLY OUR MOST PRESSING QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES TODAY? PLEASE LISTEN TO ME IF YOU'VE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ELSE I'VE SAID TODAY.
THE DATA PRESENTED TODAY SHOWS THAT THERE IS NO STA STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE IN CRIME BETWEEN SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND THE REST OF THE CITY BEFORE AN ORDINANCE GOES TO COURT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ARE ALL TOLD THIS.
AND WHILE I FEEL FOR THE FOLKS HERE WHO HAVE HAD BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR NEARBY SHORT-TERM RENTALS, I DON'T THINK A SINGLE NEGATIVE INSTANCE OF WHAT THEY'VE BROUGHT TO THE GROUP'S ATTENTION TODAY ISN'T ALREADY ILLEGAL.
UH, TRESPASSING, NOISE, SEX IN THE IN PUBLIC, THINGS LIKE THAT.
ANOTHER ORDINANCE ISN'T GONNA STOP THAT.
SO IN SUMMARY, WHY DON'T WE TAKE OUR MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND AND DEFEND THE LOSING OUR, UH, LAWSUIT THAT WILL COME OUT OF THIS AND USE IT TO BOLSTER OUR ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, HELP PREVENT FLOODING, GET THE TRASH OFF THE STREETS, OR BETTER OPTIONS LIKE HELPING PROVIDE HOUSING TO UNHOUSED HOUSTONIANS.
MILWAUKEE SIMS, MILWAUKEE SIMS MEDI RICE KEENAN BOLDEN, JOSH MICAH TO BE FOLLOWED BY BETTY CRUZ.
HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING TODAY? MY NAME IS JOSH.
I AM THE CHAIR FOR THE HOUSTON RYAN WHITE PLANNING COUNCIL.
QUALITY LIFE IS A VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT TO US.
WE'VE ACTUALLY ADDED TO OUR PILLAR FOR, UM, FOR, FOR REVIEW.
SHORT-TERM HOUSING IS A VERY CRUCIAL, UM, SUPPORT SERVICE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV OFFERING STABLE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHILE THEY NAVIGATE TREATMENT AND SUPPORT AND, UM, RECOVERY.
INDIVIDUALS FACING HOMELESSNESS ARE UNABLE TO INDIVIDUALS FACING HOMELESSNESS ARE UN OR UNSTABLE HOUSING.
SHORT-TERM HOUSING PROGRAMS CAN BE A LIFELINE AND HELP FOLKS MAINTAIN THEIR HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV OFTEN CONFIRM MANY CHALLENGES THAT CAN BE EXAGGERATED BY THE LACK OF STABLE HOUSING.
THESE CHALLENGES INCLUDE DIFFICULTY ADHERING TO MEDICATION REGIMENS, ACCESSING CONSISTENT MEDICAL CARE, AND MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES SUCH CARE.
SHORT-TERM MENTAL HOUSING PROVIDES A STABLE FOUNDATION ENABLING, UM, INDIVIDUALS TO FOCUS ON THEIR HEALTH WITHOUT CONSISTENT WORRYING ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GONNA SLEEP.
I SLEEP EACH NIGHT AND IN HOUSTON, ORGANIZATIONS
[02:45:01]
AND PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO, TO SUPPORT PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SHORT-TERM HOUSING.
THESE PROGRAMS OFFER TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATIONS AND OFTEN COMBINED WITH A COM, A COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
THIS HOLISTIC APPROACH ENSURES THAT INDIVIDUALS NOT ONLY HAVE A SAFE SPACE, BUT ALSO HAVE, UH, RECEIVE ASSISTANCE WITH HEALTHCARE, EMPLOYMENT, AND PERMANENT HOUSING.
ADDITIONALLY, SHORT-TERM HOUSING CAN SERVE AS A TRADITIONAL, AS A TRANSITIONAL STEP, HELPING INDIVIDUALS MOVE FROM CRISIS SITUATIONS TO MORE STABLE LONG-TERM HOUSING BY PROVIDING A SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR PROGRAMS TO ALLOW RESIDENTS TO BUILD NECESSARY SKILLS AND RESEARCH TO ACHIEVE LONG LASTING STABILITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, SHORT-TERM HOUSING PROGRAMS OFFER LIFE SKILLS TRAINING, FINANCIAL PLANNING, AND JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES, EMPOWERING RESIDENTS TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR FUTURES, HOWEVER, THANK YOU.
BETTY CRUZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY AVIS SCOTT.
UH, HELLO DEAR COUNCIL, I'M HERE FOR A PRECISELY, UH, DIFFERENT TOPIC.
TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE LIGHT ON A SUBJECT.
THE CITY HAS FAILED TO REGULATE NOISY AND DISRESPECTFUL FOOD TRUCKS FOR OVER SIX MONTHS.
MY QUALITY OF LIFE HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY A FOOD TRUCK NEAR MY HOUSE, MANAGED BY PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO MAKE NOISE.
AND I HAVE BEEN STOOD HARASSED BY THEM FOR THE MEN IN PEACE AND QUIET.
UM, I DON'T FEEL VERY SAFE HAVING THESE PEOPLE NEAR MY HOUSE.
AND I FEEL VERY STRESSFUL ABOUT THE SITUATION, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE NOISE CONTINUES.
AFTER MULTIPLE POLICE VISITS, ONE VISIT RESULTED IN THESE PEOPLE SCREAMING AT TWO COPS FOR OVER 50 MINUTES ON A MONDAY NIGHT AFTER I ARRIVED FROM WORK.
I'M HERE TO ASK REGULATIONS TO MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF FOOD TRUCKS NEAR BUSINESSES AND RECESSION AREAS WOULD ACTUALLY, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, S
I HAVE SOMEONE COME AND TALK TO THOSE PEOPLE TO, UH, KEEP IT DOWN, BUT STILL THE, UH, NOISE CONTINUOUS.
AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE REALLY SOME, SOME CONSEQUENCES FOR THESE PEOPLE.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO HAD SIGNED UP TO SPEAK BUT HAS NOT YET HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK? YOU WANNA COME FORWARD? YOU WANNA LOWER THAT, YOU WANNA LOWER A LITTLE BIT? WHAT'S YOUR NAME, SIR? HI, MY NAME IS RHETT IMI.
I'M A SHORT TERM RENTAL OWNER.
UH, OVER HALF OF MY TENANT STAYS ARE RELATED TO THE MEDICAL CENTER.
I MAKE SURE I TAKE TIME TO VET AND UNDERSTAND MY TENANT'S INTENT AND I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS.
I ALSO RENT AT WEEKS OR MONTHS AT MINIMUM.
COINCIDENTALLY, I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM A SHORT TERM RENTAL WHERE THE OWNER DOES NONE OF THESE THINGS.
FOR TWO YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN ALMOST NO WEEKEND THAT HAS PASSED WITHOUT A LARGE PARTY ILLEGAL PARKING, CONSTANT NOISE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.
IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THERE TO BE OVER 25 GUESTS IN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, A THREE BEDROOM TOWN HOME.
ON A FEW OCCASIONS THERE'S BEEN OVER 50 PEOPLE.
PARKING REGULATIONS ARE RARELY ENFORCED, AND NOISE HAS NEVER BEEN ENFORCED.
MY NEIGHBORS AND I HAVE CALLED THE HPD NON-EMERGENCY LINE HUNDREDS OF TIMES IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, TYPICALLY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 4:00 AM AIRBNB SHUT THIS LISTING DOWN ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
AND PRESUMABLY IT HAS RESURFACED UNDER A DIFFERENT REGISTRATION OR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
THERE IS NO ENFORCEMENT THAT I'M AWARE OF FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE STAYING OVERNIGHT IN A SHORT TERM RENTAL, 50 PEOPLE COULD OCCUPY A HOME AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT I CAN DO.
UH, THIS SDR IS BASICALLY BASICALLY OPERATING AS AN EVENT VENUE AND MOTEL, UH, DESPITE STR PLATFORMS CLAIMING THAT THEY TAKE COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY.
RARELY ANY ACTION IS TAKEN, UH, WITHOUT VIDEO PROOF AND A POLICE REPORT.
AS AN STR OWNER, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THE CITY CONSIDER ENFORCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN A RESIDENCE STRENGTH AND SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS, INCLUDING
[02:50:01]
THE SOUND ORDINANCE.IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, WHO HAS NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY COME FORWARD? WHAT'S YOUR NAME, SIR? MY NAME IS RONNIE RE.
UM, INITIALLY I WAS KIND OF WONDERING, UH, I I HAD TO APOLOGIZE.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, UH, BEING ABLE TO JOIN, UH, THE COMMITTEE'S MEETING.
AND SO MY, MY THOUGHT, MY FIRST PROBLEM THOUGHT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS? UM, I HEAR A LOT OF TALK ABOUT REGULATION AND STOPPING PEOPLE FROM DOING THINGS, BUT YOU HAVE TO START WITH THE PROBLEM.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUE MY QUESTION IS, WHY DO YOU THINK REGULATION IS GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM? WHATEVER THAT PROBLEM IS.
WHY IS REGULATION GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM? BECAUSE I, I LISTENED, I WAS, I WAS ABLE TO SIT IN ON THE EARLIER, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE, UH, POLICE CHIEF MADE QUITE CLEAR IS THAT HE'S STRUGGLING WITH RESOURCES.
SO 3 1 1 CALLS AND NUISANCE CALLS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO TAKE THE LOW PRIORITY FOR HIS ORGANIZATION UNTIL HE CAN GET MORE RESOURCES.
SO, IN YOUR ANALYSIS OF WHAT TO DO WITH WHATEVER THIS PROBLEM IS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE, YOU HAVE TO ALSO LOOK AT WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS? BECAUSE IT HAS AN IMPACT, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, MONEY THAT'S COMING IN FROM SHORT-TERM RENTALS THAT BENEFITS THE CITY.
SO IF YOU PREVENT THAT MONEY FROM COMING IN, THAT'S GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT, GONNA HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT.
IF YOU DO SOMETHING TO ENCOURAGE THOSE RENTALS, IT'S GONNA HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT.
SO IN YOUR ANALYSIS OF WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT, ALSO LOOK AT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
AND SO, UH, I GUESS MY LAST POINT IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIGGEST THING IS YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING, WHAT I HEAR IS THERE'S A NUISANCE PROBLEM.
AND SO WHY DO YOU THINK REGULATION IS GONNA SOLVE THE NUISANCE PROBLEM? AND THEN THE LAST THING WE, ALL YOU'VE GOTTA REMEMBER IS THAT THESE NUISANCE PROBLEMS ARE MORALITY PROBLEMS AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO REGI LEGISLATE AWAY MORALITY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, WHO HASN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK YET? ALRIGHT, HEARING NO ONE LET ME SAY THAT WE APPRECIATE, UH, ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD.
UH, WE WILL TAKE THEM INTO CONSIDERATION AND THE ADMINISTRATION WILL AS WELL AS WE, UH, TRY TO, TO FIND THE BEST PATH FORWARD ON THIS ISSUE.
SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE MEETING AND LET YOU KNOW THAT OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING IS AUGUST THE 15TH AT 2:00 PM IN THIS LOCATION.