One year later: Airbnb.org’s support for people fleeing the war in Ukraine

A year ago, Airbnb.org committed to connecting up to 100,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine to free, temporary housing. As the world marks one year since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Airbnb.org has helped connect nearly 130,000 people to free stays. These stays were funded by Airbnb, Inc., other donors to Airbnb.org, and the generosity of Hosts who offered free and discounted stays through Airbnb.org. 

This work was also made possible by Airbnb.org’s trusted humanitarian partners that helped book and coordinate stays for refugee guests. Airbnb.org has worked with more than 40 organizations around the world to provide temporary accommodation to people fleeing Ukraine. 

Today, Airbnb.org continues to work with its global network of nonprofit organizations to assist refugees from Ukraine, where renewed violence and harsh winter conditions have intensified the need for housing.

• In Europe, partners including Alight, International Organization for Migration, and Phineo continue to help families fleeing Ukraine.
• In the US, HIAS and Church World Service are some of the partners that are helping place refugees from Ukraine into temporary stays. 
• In Canada, CUIAS, Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, Jewish Immigrant Aid Service (JIAS) and others are welcoming those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. 

In addition, Airbnb.org grew its network of organizations in 2022 to include Nova Ukraine, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), EURORDIS and Phineo– as well as hyperlocal community-based organizations such as Community Sponsorship Hub to better serve people in need. These partnerships are one way Airbnb.org expressed its ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

“Throughout the Ukraine crisis GEM has assisted thousands of individuals and families with their need to relocate globally. We are grateful for the collaboration and support of Airbnb.org, which has allowed us to offer displaced individuals a safe and healthy environment in an otherwise stressful and disheartening situation,” expressed Michael Capponi, Founder and President of Global Empowerment Mission Inc. 

To support this response, more than 48,000 Hosts from 160 countries and regions around the world offered to open up their homes to refugees through Airbnb.org. To date, refugees fleeing Ukraine have found refuge with Hosts across more than 98 countries and regions, including Germany, Poland, Denmark, Romania, Hungary, the US and Canada. 

Supporting refugees is core to Airbnb.org’s work, and it remains dedicated to working with partners to offer help to people fleeing Ukraine, as well as displaced people impacted by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria and other crises, in the months to come.

People interested in supporting this critical work can visit airbnb.org to donate. Currently, all donations will be matched up to a total of $5 million USD. That means every gift will have twice the impact, and will help fund the cost of housing for people in times of crisis.