Access to the exclusive city: Home sharing as an affordable housing strategy

Julia Gabriele Harten and Geoff Boeing
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Julia Gabriele Harten: University of British Columbia, Canada
Geoff Boeing: University of Southern California, USA

Urban Studies, 2024, vol. 61, issue 16, 3069-3085

Abstract: Home sharing, particularly via online platforms, is becoming a mainstream housing strategy as social processes evolve and housing costs rise. Recent research has studied shared rentals as a modality for students and kin-based households, as one strategy among diversifying pathways to housing and as a social phenomenon. However, we still know little about whether it actually creates opportunities for home seekers in unaffordable markets. Analysing online rental listings in Los Angeles, we find that shared rentals are both more affordable and more widely available across diverse neighbourhoods than traditional whole-unit rentals. Shared rentals have historically been understudied due to their limited data trail, but they offer important entryways into unaffordable markets. We argue for shared housing research to shift its traditional focus away from students and young adults and towards a broader exploration of the diverse populations that may benefit from or depend on shared housing.

Keywords: affordability; Craigslist; rental housing; housing search; shared housing; 负担能力; Craigslist å…¬å ¸; 出租房屋; ä½ æˆ¿æ œç´¢; å…±äº«ä½ æˆ¿ (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:61:y:2024:i:16:p:3069-3085

DOI: 10.1177/00420980241258297

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