Hoboken Pols Blast Councilman Who Rented Out Airbnb Unit 23 Times

HOBOKEN, NJ — Four of Hoboken's council members and the Hudson County freeholder released statements on Wednesday blasting Hoboken Councilman Michael DeFusco for frequently renting his condo via Airbnb during the pandemic over the past year.

While none of the officials said they believed DeFusco broke state or city directives relating to renting out one's condo on Airbnb, they said his record of using and renting Airbnb showed that he had traveled from home frequently during the pandemic, putting him out of reach of his constituents at a time they needed him.

They also cited testimonials from people renting his condo last summer from out of state, at a time when visitors were told to quarantine upon entering New Jersey.

The controversy bubbled up this week after a report on Monday in TAPInto said DeFusco's condo "housed a steady docket of guests" who left 23 reviews during a time when travel was frowned upon. In fact, at the end of last summer, people from 33 states and two territories were told to quarantine upon entering New Jersey. READ MORE: NJ Expands Travel Quarantine To 35 States And Territories

A look at DeFusco's listing Wednesday confirmed that there were indeed 23 reviews left from last August through this March, including four in August 2020, the first by a woman who lists her residence as Toronto.

The councilman confirmed Wednesday that the unit is his and said it's his only home in Hoboken.

DeFusco said in a statement to Patch: "Like most, including my City Council colleagues, during the pandemic I spent time with close family. Living alone and without the ability to physically interact with the community I love, the family support is what got me through this very difficult time. Maybe the only difference is that while I was visiting family I sometimes offered my home as a short term rental as a way of offsetting my mortgage while I pay on a single person's income."

He added, "All of this was done in accordance with CDC guidelines to protect the health of my senior parents, young nieces and myself as I fall within the at risk population."

A directive from Hoboken's Office of Emergency Management issued on March 23, 2020 stated that "WHEREAS, having individuals from other areas stay in Hoboken on a short term basis unnecessarily exposes the residents of Hoboken to potentially infected people, further strains city resources, and is contradictory to our social distancing self-isolation orders," residents could not rent out their units "on a short term basis ..." defined as a period of "two consecutive months." A subsequent state order gave towns leeway to impose their own restrictions.

A city spokesman said Thursday afternoon that the directive is still in effect.

On March 21, 2020, Bhalla had written in a coronavirus update to the residents, "As of last night, there were surprisingly several dozens of rentals available on Airbnb. All short-term rentals, including Airbnb, are now prohibited until further notice in Hoboken, with a new order issued by the Office of Emergency Management. We have informed Airbnb and ask all hosts to remove their listings without delay. "

On Wednesday, the five critics of DeFusco's actions sent a joint email to the media.

In it, council members Jim Doyle, Emily Jabbour, and Phil Cohen, who are allied with Mayor Ravi Bhalla, a sometime political opponent of DeFusco, said, “Since last summer, Councilman Michael DeFusco has notably been absent from Hoboken — absent from signing-up seniors for vaccines, absent from volunteering in the community, absent from supporting our struggling small businesses, and absent from certain City Council meetings and several community meetings. Now, we know why — not only has he been traveling across the world to COVID hot-spot countries like Colombia, Michael has rented his own apartment through Airbnb more than 20 times since August of last year."

They said, "At a bare minimum, Michael owes his constituents a full and complete accounting as to why he’s been an absentee councilman ... If he’s unable to do so, perhaps he should no longer serve on the City Council.”

Councilwoman Vanessa Falco noted, “It was very disappointing for me to learn the information that is being reported about 1st Ward Council Member Michael DeFusco. This past year has been a difficult one for residents, students, senior citizens, teachers, first responders, and parents. I am not sure how he feels his absence is appropriate or why. During the pandemic, it was, and still remains an all hands-on deck approach in keeping residents safe."

County Commissioner Anthony Romano wrote, "The recent revelation concerning Councilman Michael Defusco and his 23 Airbnb rentals in just nine months, along with his trips outside of the country, are very troubling. Our councilperson in the 1st Ward, the ward in which I live, should not be absent from his neighborhood and renting out his primary residence for long term stays through Airbnb. I, along with other of his constituents have reached out to DeFusco about the issue of Airbnb, with no response from him."

DeFusco told Daily Voice on Wednesday that, "I did travel to Colombia once it was medically appropriate to do so, in order to visit a loved one and his family. This was a personal matter in my personal life that I would like to continue to keep personal." He did not answer further questions about his travel.

On Wednesday, Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, an ally of DeFusco, called the matter "a politically motivated hit job," adding, "Many City Council members, not just Mike, have traveled this last year to be with close family."

The matter came to light as a mayoral election looms in November. In the last race four years ago, DeFusco went head to head in a close runoff against Bhalla, who is up for re-election.

Candidates in the election for mayor and three council seats must file by the end of August.

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