Airbnb.org offers free emergency housing for Hurricane Melissa

To support those impacted by Hurricane Melissa, Airbnb.org—a nonprofit founded by Airbnb to provide emergency housing in times of crisis—is offering free emergency housing to first responders. In this initial stage, Airbnb.org is partnering with organizations including All Hands & Hearts, Haiti Air Ambulance, and the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), among others, to provide housing for their teams. Airbnb.org is also working with local nonprofits and government officials throughout impacted Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, to determine how to best help displaced people once the storm has passed and it is deemed safe to do so. For example, Airbnb.org and IOM are partnering to provide free housing to people who have evacuated from the southern part of the Bahamas ahead of the storm.

How it works

Airbnb.org works with governments and nonprofit organizations to help identify those in greatest need of emergency housing. Local nonprofits and government officials identify first responders and residents in need of temporary housing and refer them to Airbnb.org. Impacted individuals are then granted credits from Airbnb.org to book an Airbnb stay that meets their needs. Residents impacted by Hurricane Melissa can check airbnb.org/hurricanemelissa for the most up-to-date information.

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization founded by Airbnb that connects people to emergency housing in times of crisis. Airbnb.org uses the Airbnb platform to connect people who need a place to stay with Airbnb hosts willing to share theirs. 100 percent of all donations go directly to providing emergency housing in times of crisis. Since its founding in 2020, Airbnb.org has provided 1.6 million nights of free, temporary housing to more than 250,000 people.

Most recently, Airbnb.org offered free, temporary housing to people displaced by flooding in central Texas, tornadoes in Kentucky, wildfires in Los Angeles and the earthquake in Japan’s Noto Peninsula. 

Note: Airbnb.org does not offer housing directly to individuals at this time. Those impacted and in need of emergency housing should continue to check airbnb.org/hurricanemelissa for the most up to date information.

How to help

Anyone interested in supporting those impacted by Hurricane Melissa can visit airbnb.org/hurricanemelissa to either:

• Sign up to offer free or discounted stays as an Airbnb.org host (Airbnb does not profit on these stays), or
• Donate to Airbnb.org—100 percent of donations go directly toward connecting people in crisis with emergency housing.