Eau Claire Targets Short-Term Rentals Amid Homelessness Issues

The Eau Claire City Council will consider two proposed ordinance changes that would place limits on short-term rental properties.

The Chippewa Valley region has seen a concerning increase in the unhoused population in the last couple of years, specifically in Eau Claire County. The City has a vacancy rate far below the statewide average, and that lack of affordable housing has become a major issue facing the area. In fact, creating more affordable housing and increasing the services offered for the growing unhoused population are major goals in the proposed budget for next year.

Among the affordable housing challenges facing both the Chippewa Valley and the United States as a whole is the growth of short-term rental properties. With real estate investors purchasing second and third properties for their short-term rental businesses, the availability of affordable housing has plummeted and home prices have skyrocketed.

According to a WQOW report, there are 66 short-term rental properties in the city currently.

In an effort to address that, the Eau Claire City Council is considering a pair of ordinance changes to discourage the purchase of short-term rental properties. One ordinance would change the type of permit needed to open a short-term rental, making it both easier for property owners to apply for it but easier for the City to revoke it. The other would redefine short-term rentals to create a distinct difference between those properties and bed and breakfast properties, as well as place a minimum and maximum stay time.

Both proposed ordinance changes will be considered at the Eau Claire City Council meeting this week.