Community Advocacy:

Protecting the South Haven Experience

Grounded in Neighborhoods. Guided by Facts. Committed to Fair Policy for All.

The Economic Reality: Jobs, Income, and Local Opportunity

Advocacy must account for the people whose livelihoods depend on this industry.

Local Workforce Impact
STRs support between 400 and 525 year-round jobs in our zip code, generating up to $14.9 million in personal income for local families.
Seasonal Demand, Permanent Paychecks
During peak summer months, STR activity supports demand for over 1,100 local jobs. A reduction of just 25 STR units would result in a net loss of nearly $700,000 in local personal income annually.

This is not theoretical. These are paychecks.

We practice proactive advocacy — not reactive opposition.

Our focus is on early engagement, policy literacy, and constructive participation before decisions are finalized, not frustration after the fact.

South Haven is a tourism community. It always has been. What’s changed isn't the desire to visit—it’s the complexity of protecting the rights of those who make this community possible.

Recent data from the 2023 Robey Analytics Economic Impact Study confirms that Short-Term Rentals (STRs) are now a primary engine for our local stability, supporting the restaurants, shops, and services that make our small-town life possible.

At Shores Vacation Rentals, we believe advocacy isn’t just for one side of the fence. Whether you are a guest seeking a peaceful retreat or a homeowner building a legacy, your rights matter. We are here to ensure that South Haven remains a welcoming destination for visitors and a sustainable home for residents.

At Shores Vacation Rentals, we believe advocacy must be balanced. We aren't just fighting for personal and property rights; we are fighting for the 5% to 6% of our local workforce whose livelihoods depend on this industry.

To Our Homeowners: Protecting Your Investment and Your Rights

Your Property, Your Right: We believe that the right to rent your property is a fundamental property right that requires due process and equal protection.
The Data on Value: Contrary to local myths, the City’s own report shows that properties permitted as STRs within a year of sale saw a price increase of approximately $73,000 to $75,000.
Neighborly Harmony: Research indicates that the proximity of an STR does not negatively impact the sale price or value of neighboring homes.
Economic Stability: Your home is part of an industry that contributes between 3% and 4% of the total personal income of all South Haven residents.
Active Defense: We don’t just monitor your calendar; we monitor city hall, tracking regulatory trends to ensure you are never surprised by punitive policy changes.

Community Advocacy: A Balanced South Haven

The Tourism Lifeline: South Haven has always been a tourism community; today, STRs provide nearly two-thirds of the city’s total lodging capacity.
A "Win-Win" for Diversity: Tourism supports the diversity of restaurants, festivals, and specialty retailers that make our downtown vibrant—amenities that wouldn't exist without the $25 to $35.5 million in annual visitor spending.
Fact-Based Dialogue: We advocate for policy grounded in evidence, not emotion. The data shows STRs are a minor contributor to housing unaffordability compared to broader national and state trends.
Accountability and Standards: We support clear occupancy, safety, and noise standards that target bad actors rather than punishing the entire class of responsible owners.
Protecting Guest Rights: Every visitor is a temporary neighbor. We fight to ensure South Haven remains a welcoming, accessible destination for working families, not just the elite.

Growing the Middle Class: Our Rebirth Strategy

Strategic Investment: We propose using Michigan state laws (PA 198 and PA 328) to offer tax abatements and exemptions to the vocational trades—the plumbers, electricians, and contractors who sustain our homes.
Job Creation: The STR industry supports between 395 and 522 year-round jobs. By contrast, if these homes were returned to strictly residential use, the city would lose an estimated $1.35 million in annual wages.
Recruiting Families: We advocate for local ordinances that incentivize tradespeople to relocate to SoHa, hire local workers, and enroll their children in our public schools.
Stability Over Scapegoating: You cannot claim to support working families while adopting policies that make ownership impossible for them.
The Multiplier Effect: Every dollar spent by a guest or an owner on maintenance contributes to a cycle of wealth that stays in South Haven, supporting the trades that make housing possible.

Click to download Document

"The findings from the research focus on the economic impacts of STRs on the study area. It is acknowledged that there are strong emotional impacts, both pro and con, to the discussion. While some of these impacts are captured in this document, it is not the focus of the research.

As might have been expected, STRs have an impact on South Haven. While STRs have a positive impact on the economy, from both jobs and personal income perspectives, they also appear to drive the prices of real estate."

Strengthening the Middle Class — Not Just Talking About It

If South Haven wants a resilient middle class, policy must support the people who build, maintain, and sustain the community.

We actively support exploring policies that:

✔ Support Tourism-Driven Businesses

South Haven is a destination community. Policies should reflect that reality.

Tax incentives for businesses that directly support tourism
Support for year-round operations that stabilize employment
Long-term investment, not short-term churn

✔ Support the Trades That Make Housing Possible. Housing does not exist without skilled labor. We advocate for incentive frameworks that encourage:

Builders, electricians, plumbers, HVAC professionals, and contractors
Long-term relocation into the community
Enrollment of their families into local schools
Businesses that employ a sustained local workforce over time

These are not giveaways — they are strategic investments in community stability.

Our Position: Clear, Balanced, and Unapologetic

We believe:

Property rights are foundational — they require due process and equal protection
Blanket bans and punitive fees do not solve housing challenges
Scapegoating STRs distracts from real supply and workforce issues
Strong communities need middle-class stability, not forced sell-offs

You cannot claim to support working families while adopting policies that make ownership impossible for them.

Our Constructive Proposal: Building the Middle Class We Say We Want

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Advocacy is incomplete without solutions. That’s why we support policy pathways that strengthen the workforce that sustains housing.

A Skilled Labor Welcome Zone (Concept Framework)

We advocate exploring existing Michigan laws to incentivize long-term residency and business formation by skilled tradespeople:

Targeted Tax Abatements (PA 198 & PA 328)
5–10 year abatements for licensed trades (plumbers, HVAC, electricians, builders) who relocate and register businesses locally.
Workforce Recruitment Incentives
Strategic use of Renaissance Zone tools to attract skilled workers willing to invest long-term.
Investing in Schools
Household tax credits tied to enrolling children in local public schools — growing the next generation of residents.
Local Hiring Credits
Incentives for businesses that establish a local presence and employ a sustained local workforce.

This is how communities grow younger, stronger, and more resilient.

This chart compares two futures for South Haven. The blue bars show our current town with Short-Term Rentals, and the grey bars show what would happen if they were removed.

The Jobs Story (Left Chart): Look at how much taller the blue bar is! Short-Term Rentals support 522 year-round jobs for local families. If the city stopped rentals, that number would crash down to just 36 jobs.
The Paycheck Story (Right Chart): This shows the money that goes into our neighbors' pockets. STRs bring in nearly $15 million in personal income every year. Without them, that would drop to only $1.35 million.
A "Minor Contributor" to Housing Issues: While some people blame rentals for housing costs, the City’s own report calls them a "minor contributor" to those problems.
The Hidden Engine for Trades: Included in those numbers are 126 jobs just for our local plumbers, electricians, and builders who are paid to maintain and improve these homes year-round.

The Bottom Line: Removing Short-Term Rentals doesn't just "turn off the lights"—it removes the engine that provides 522 jobs and $15 million in income for the people who call South Haven home.

How Short-Term Rentals Help Our Neighbors (The Fast Facts)

This graph shows the difference between South Haven having short-term rentals and not having them. The City of South Haven hired experts to study the numbers, and here is what they found:

More Jobs for Local Families: When people visit our town and stay in rentals, they spend money at restaurants, shops, and local businesses. This supports between 395 and 522 year-round jobs for people who live right here.
The "Alternative" would hurt our economy: If the city stopped short-term rentals and those houses were only used by permanent owners or left empty in the winter, the town would only gain about 36 jobs.
A $13 Million Difference: Short-term rentals bring in about $13
million in paychecks for local workers every year. If those rentals went away, the town would lose about $1.35 million in local wages.
Helping our Plumbers and Builders: Owners of rentals spend a lot of money on fixing up their homes, cleaning, and taking care of yards. This creates 126 jobs just for local tradespeople like plumbers and electricians.

The Bottom Line: Short-term rentals are a major engine for our town. They don't just provide a place for visitors to sleep; they provide a way for our neighbors to earn a living and keep South Haven thriving.

Our Position: Pro-Economy, Pro-Neighbor, Pro-South Haven