Growing Idaho: Breaking down perceptions on short-term rentals [Video]

BOISE, Idaho — We’ve heard from a lot of you about the housing crisis. Many of you said we have too many short-term rentals owned by large out-of-state corporations and that is a big reason for the crisis, because it’s taking homes off the market. That’s the perception. Is it rooted in reality? Somewhat.

Let’s start overseas, where locals in Barcelona, Spain are spraying tourists with water guns and protesting. Residents say mass tourism is overwhelming the city and spiking the cost of living, especially housing.

Omar Encarnación, Professor of Political Studies at Bard College talked about what’s driving residents to this, “The declining quality of life for local residents and that would include the increase in cost of housing, the noise, the litter, the displacement of long-term residents, and the relentless construction.”

An increase …