Forces Reshaping Housing

Abstract

In 2006, the living room of Chris Bledsoe became a makeshift bedroom. The guest, in this case, did not arrive through Airbnb. Andrew, Chris’s younger brother, just moved to the city and needed a place to stay. After a few weeks, the couch became uncomfortable and Chris encouraged Andrew to get an apartment of his own. A few additional weeks later, Chris provided the necessary guarantees for a lease on a one-bedroom apartment and Andrew moved out.

But the brothers had a plan. To help pay the rent, Andrew decided to bring in sub-tenants. He used a pressurized wall system to split the living room into two tiny but private rooms and posted a short ad on Craigslist. Within 48 hours, nearly 90 people responded to the ad.