Can Sandusky save its old neighborhoods?

Airbnbs, VRBOs, vacation homes and US — what residents need to know

SANDUSKY — When people are told to “take stock,” it usually means a metaphorical inventory of their life. For the city, taking stock means looking at housing and how to keep it safe, affordable and growing.

City staff has been tracking just that for years. In recent weeks that work has been driven home at public forums highlighting programming that includes Welcome Home Sandusky, which aims to build 35 new homes in the city in just a few years; a thoroughly documented, interactive digital report of a 10-year survey and updating information for every single residential unit in the city and how the housing stock has changed in the last decade; and targeted neighborhood reviews of new housing options.

There are competing interests and competing objectives, according to advocates. There’s a housing crisis in the city, in Ohio and across the country, according to Sue Daugherty, who spoke during the audience participation portion of a Dec. 8 public hearing for a zoning proposal to clarify a process for how city property owners can apply to operate Airbnbs or VRBOs (transient housing rentals).