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Airbnb.org announces support for hurricane relief efforts

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Key Takeaways

  • Airbnb.org has committed $5 million to provide free, temporary housing to people displaced by Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian in the US and Caribbean 

Key Takeaways

  • Airbnb.org has committed $5 million to provide free, temporary housing to people displaced by Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian in the US and Caribbean 

Airbnb.org today announced it has committed $5 million to offer free, temporary housing to people displaced by Hurricane Ian in the US and Hurricane Fiona in the Caribbean in coordination with partners on the ground. These stays will be funded by Airbnb and other donors to Airbnb.org. 

In the US, Airbnb.org is working with local non-profit organizations, including Florida-based Global Empowerment Mission, and state and local officials to identify people in need of temporary housing. To be eligible for an Airbnb.org stay as part of this hurricane response, individuals must be connected to Airbnb.org by one of its official referral agencies. While Airbnb.org’s primary focus is to offer emergency stays to people displaced by the hurricanes, it is also working with organizations like CORE Response, Operation Blessing and Inspiritus to house first responders assisting with recovery efforts on the ground. 

In the Caribbean, the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Fiona – including damage to critical infrastructure such as water, power, fuel, and food access – has complicated emergency response efforts. Airbnb.org partners CORE Response and SBP are on the ground in Puerto Rico and leveraging Airbnb.org grants to house their first responders. Airbnb.org is in touch with local emergency management agencies and other nonprofit organizations to track developments on the ground and determine how it can best support temporary housing efforts as conditions improve.

“Our thoughts are with the people displaced by Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian, and the first responders and organizations on the ground who are diligently working to assist in the wake of these disasters. We are grateful to Airbnb.org’s nonprofit partners and public agencies that will leverage Airbnb.org and Airbnb resources to connect people in need to a temporary place they can call home while they rebuild,” said Catherine Powell, Airbnb’s Global Head of Hosting and executive sponsor of Airbnb.org.   

Disaster response is part of Airbnb.org’s mission to support people in times of need. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees and asylum seekers through Airbnb.org.

Separately, Airbnb has committed $250,000 to the Florida Disaster Relief Fund to support Florida communities impacted by Hurricane Ian. The Disaster Relief Fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to provide financial assistance to communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster. 

To learn more about Airbnb.org and how you can get involved, visit https://www.airbnb.org/get-involved. 
Read more about: Airbnb.org, City Portal

About Airbnb 

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over
4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals across over 220 countries and regions. Travel on Airbnb keeps more of the financial benefits of tourism with the people and places that make it happen. Airbnb has generated billions of dollars in earnings for Hosts, most of whom are individuals listing the homes in which they live. Among Hosts who report their gender, more than half are women, and one in five employed Hosts are either teachers or healthcare workers. Travel on Airbnb also has generated more than $4 billion in tax revenue around the world. Airbnb has helped advance more than 1,000 regulatory frameworks for short-term rentals, including in 80% of our top 200 geographies. In late 2020, to support our continued expansion and diversification, we launched the City Portal to provide governments with a one-stop shop that supports data sharing and compliance with local registration rules. We continue to invest in innovations and tools to support our ongoing work with governments around the world to advance travel that best serves communities.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.’s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org’s charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

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