I believe in using any available resource to help others and change perceptions.  Last June, I opened the first and only 3 Airbnb’s north of Delmar, and they have been booked solid since they were listed.  For the past several months, I have offered modest, flexibly-priced spaces in North St. Louis to people both in the City and from numerous cities and countries via Airbnb.  By pairing otherwise vacant properties with people who have limited options for living situations, I hope to help those in transition find their way to stable housing.   Our guests have included foreign exchange students, business travelers, and City residents escaping slum lords or domestic violence.

I intend to show out-of-towners and fellow St. Louisans that, while North City has its ups and downs, the vast majority of the residents here are decent, hard working citizens, a few of whom are navigating the margin between oppression and destitution.  There are wonderful people here on the northside.  While it’s critical for us to confront our shortcomings as a city, we must also get to know our neighbors and focus on the positive aspects of our neighborhoods.  It’s refreshing to see the media reporting some good news from this side of town, and I’m fortunate to be a part of some of the great things happening here.

Click the links below for the written article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the video news segments from KSDK and Fox 2.

In Solidarity,