A Recession Proof Real Estate Strategy: Airbnb Plus Affordable Housing

• Kent He increased rent by $550 a month by adding a bedroom to his affordable housing unit.
• His ‘recession-proof’ investment strategy involves operating Airbnbs and affordable housing units.
• Benefits to investing in affordable housing include predictable, reliable income.

When Kent He’s Section 8 tenant moved out of his single-family home in Fairfield, Alabama in 2024, the investor saw an opportunity to improve his property.

He decided to add a room and convert the three-bedroom into a four-bedroom — and spent about $41,000 doing so, he said.

The investment has already started to pay off.

He told Business Insider that the three-bedroom was bringing in $700 a month in rent. Thanks mainly to the additional bedroom, the Birmingham Housing Authority determined that the property can now be rented for $1,257. BI confirmed these details by viewing the certification He received from the housing authority.

That’s about a $550 increase in monthly rent — or,…