Airbnb launches an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis.
Thanks to Shell, a single host who helped people impacted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 by welcoming them in her house, a movement is born that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need.
From Australia to France, more than 100,000 hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 75,000 people in times of need. Going forward, Airbnb’s Open Homes and Frontline stays programs will now be called Airbnb.org.
Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb and Chairman of Airbnb.org said :
Airbnb.org is a testament to our community’s generosity and the power of an idea that started with one host eight years ago and has transformed into a movement of compassion and hospitality. Founding and supporting Airbnb.org allows us to double down on our efforts to help communities in need across the world in coordination with our partners, including the IFRC and CORE, to further amplify the generosity of our host community.
Hosts who support Airbnb.org by offering free stays or making recurring donations will receive a special badge on their profile to recognize their generosity and commitment to communities in need.
Ann Lee, CORE Co-founder and CEO added :
We are incredibly grateful to Airbnb.org for providing places for our team to stay while they are away from home and serving communities that are being affected by COVID-19. It’s heartening to know that our hardworking team has a safe and comfortable place to rest and recuperate after the hard work they do every single day on the frontlines of fighting this pandemic.
As a nonprofit, Airbnb.org will scale its impact and fund stays through private donations from individuals and institutions. All funds raised through Airbnb.org will go towards covering the cost of stays for those in need.