Airbnb.org offers temporary housing to people impacted by Hurricane Helene

To support residents who have been displaced from their homes by Hurricane Helene, Airbnb.org is working with the Florida United Methodist Conference (FLUMC), Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), and 211 contact centers in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina to offer free, temporary housing. Stays are completely free for guests and are funded by Airbnb.org and the generosity of Airbnb hosts — many of whom offer their home for free or at a discount through Airbnb.org.

How it works

FLUMC, GEM, and local 211 contact centers will identify residents in need of temporary housing and help connect them to Airbnb.org stays. They are specifically focused on residents who have either lost their home or been forced to evacuate due to the hurricane. Impacted residents can request assistance for temporary housing support from Airbnb.org in the following ways:

• Florida: Florida residents displaced by the hurricane and looking for housing support in Pinellas, Hernando, Hillsborough, Charlotte, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Walton, Okaloosa, Gulf, Lee, Hendry, Glades, Leon, Taylor, Wakulla, Madison, Liberty, Gadsden, Franklin, and Jefferson should contact their local 211, which they can find at 211.org. For support in Sarasota and Manatee, residents should reach out to FLUMC at (863) 688-5563 or (800) 282-8011 (toll-free). Those in Pasco County should contact GEM at (800) 995-7604. Airbnb.org is only offering temporary housing in the counties listed at this time.
• North Carolina: North Carolina residents displaced by the hurricane should contact their local 211 contact center, which they can find at 211.org.
• South Carolina: South Carolina residents displaced by the hurricane should reach out to United Way of the Piedmont or contact their local 211 contact center, which they can find at 211.org.

Airbnb.org works with local organizations to help identify those in greatest need of temporary housing and may expand support to other areas affected by Hurricane Helene. We will update this page with more information accordingly.

“Hurricane Helene devastated Western Carolina and we’re working hard to make sure everyone impacted has a safe place to stay following the storm. We appreciate Airbnb.org stepping up to provide free temporary housing to those in need and collaborating with other local organizations during this challenging time.”

Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina

“With thousands of people impacted by Hurricane Helene, we need all the help we can get to keep our community safe. We are incredibly grateful to Airbnb.org for helping to ensure our residents have a safe place to stay.”

Tori Greer, Florida 211 Network

“It has been incredibly challenging to find safe accommodations for people displaced by the storm. I’m inspired by my fellow Airbnb hosts who immediately stepped up to support relief efforts and welcome families into their homes through Airbnb.org, which waives all fees associated with Airbnb bookings. Airbnb.org is a powerful way for hosts like myself to better serve our communities when disasters like Hurricane Helene strike.”

Danielle, Airbnb host in Tampa, Florida

An independent nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with free, temporary housing in times of crisis, Airbnb.org has provided more than 1.6 million nights of emergency stays for approximately 240,000 people. Airbnb.org uses the Airbnb platform and hosts—as well as a global network of nonprofit partners—to quickly connect people who need a place to stay with Airbnb hosts who open their homes for free or at a discount. Earlier this year, Airbnb.org offered free, temporary housing to people displaced by wildfires in San Bernardino, California and Jasper, Canada, Hurricane Beryl in Houston, floods in Brazil, and the earthquake in Japan’s Noto Peninsula. 

Note: Airbnb.org does not offer housing directly to individuals at this time. Airbnb.org stays for people impacted by Hurricane Helene will be coordinated by FLUMC, GEM, or local 211 contact centers.

How to help

Those interested in offering free or discounted stays to people impacted by the hurricane can visit Airbnb.org for more information on how to sign up to host. Airbnb waives all service fees for Airbnb.org hosts and guests. Hosts who sign up to share their home through Airbnb.org receive damage protection and liability insurance with AirCover for each booking.

You can also support people impacted by Hurricane Helene by donating to Airbnb.org. 100 percent of donations go toward covering the cost of temporary stays for this response and other crises.

Impacted Airbnb hosts and guests

To further support communities impacted by the hurricane, Airbnb has activated its Major Disruptive Events Policy for severely impacted areas of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This means hosts can cancel eligible stays in these areas without consequences, and guests who have an eligible booking in these areas can cancel for a refund. Hosts and guests can see eligible bookings on their Airbnb account via their Trips page. Airbnb’s customer support team is also available to help with any questions.