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Airbnb.org supports rescue efforts in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

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Key Takeaways

  • Airbnb.org will provide free, temporary housing for survivors, volunteers, and first responders.
  • The organization will work in partnership with the State Government and local nonprofits to connect people with a free place to stay.
Man walks through floodwaters holding a plastic tub

Key Takeaways

  • Airbnb.org will provide free, temporary housing for survivors, volunteers, and first responders.
  • The organization will work in partnership with the State Government and local nonprofits to connect people with a free place to stay.

Photo credits: Carlos Macedo/Trilho Narrativas

To support those impacted by heavy rains and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, Airbnb.org is partnering with the state government and coordinating with local nonprofits to offer free, temporary housing to people displaced from their homes, as well as first responders and volunteers in the region. Stays are completely free for guests and are funded by Airbnb.org and the generosity of Airbnb hosts.

How it works

Initially, Airbnb.org will focus on supporting the region’s rescue and recovery efforts by working with the state government to provide temporary housing for first responders and volunteers. The state of Rio Grande do Sul, through the Secretariat of Planning, Governance and Management (SPGG), will identify first responders and volunteers working with the departments of Health, Social Development, Public Security and Civil Defense and help connect them with Airbnb.org stays, which are completely free for guests. Airbnb.org is also coordinating with local nonprofits, such as Instituto Social Pertence, to connect survivors of the floods to short-term housing.  

An independent nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with free, temporary housing in times of crisis, Airbnb.org has provided more than 1.4 million nights of emergency stays for over 220,000 people. In Latin America, the organization offered housing support to survivors of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Mexico, and more recently during the wildfires in Valparaíso, Chile1. Earlier this year, Airbnb.org provided free, temporary housing to people impacted by the earthquake in Japan’s Noto Peninsula.

Note: Airbnb.org does not offer housing directly to individuals at this time. Airbnb.org stays for first responders and volunteers will be coordinated by the state of Rio Grande do Sul, while stays for survivors will be coordinated by local nonprofits.

How to help

Airbnb covers all of Airbnb.org’s operating costs as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to support communities in the region impacted by natural disasters. In 2023, Airbnb also donated to local NGO Gerando Falcões to support cities affected by heavy rains on the Northern Coastline of the state of São Paulo.

Those interested in offering free or discounted stays to survivors and relief workers can visit Airbnb.org for more information on how to participate. Airbnb waives all service fees for Airbnb.org hosts and guests. Hosts who sign up to share their home through Airbnb.org receive comprehensive protection with AirCover for each booking.

You can also support survivors of the Rio Grande do Sul floods and first responders leading rescue and recovery efforts by donating to Airbnb.org. One-hundred percent of donations go toward covering the cost of temporary stays for this response and other crises.

Guests with impacted reservations in Rio Grande do Sul can currently cancel their reservations and receive a refund, and impacted hosts can cancel bookings without fees or changes to their Superhost status.
Read more about: Brazil

1 http://www.airbnb.org

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

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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