Thank you so much for a great stay in your home!
The space was clean and welcoming and stayed cool even in the hot day. The bed was super comfortable and linens were pristine and cooling.
We did notice that this Airbnb is in a historically (and currently) Black neighborhood. It feels important to acknowledge that gentrification and “urban renewal” is actively happening in this neighborhood and it is not wanted or welcome by your neighbors. We know that across the country, black and brown people are getting squeezed out of their historical neighborhoods so that developers (often not from the community or even from the state) can turn a quick profit.
Myself and my wife are a white queer couple. In restrospect, we did not research this area well- and should have done our due diligence to further understand the dynamics of this community.
We will be donating to a Portland black led organization once we leave here today to try to offset some of our impact and disruption in the community. If you’re not already, we encourage you, as a host, to consider giving a portion of proceeds of your Airbnb income to black led community organizations as a small step in participating in this neighborhood.
Thank you for welcoming us into your space. We hope that this may be a learning experience for both ourselves and you and offer this info as an open invitation.
- Much appreciation-Emily and Polly