Airbnb.org is proud to share its first-ever impact report, which offers an overview of the organization’s work since its launch in December 2020.
Airbnb.org was founded as an independent nonprofit to help connect people impacted by natural disasters and other large-scale crises to free, temporary stays. The inspiration for Airbnb.org started with Airbnb Host, Shell, who opened her Brooklyn home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and inspired thousands of Hosts to follow suit. In just three years, Airbnb.org has provided over 1.4 million nights of free, temporary housing to more than 220,000 people1.
None of this would be possible without the support of Airbnb.org’s global community of Hosts, nonprofit organizations, and donors, who have shown unwavering commitment to Airbnb.org’s work and mission.
Scaling support for refugees
In recent years, Airbnb.org has significantly expanded its efforts to help refugees displaced by humanitarian crises. Working with organizations around the world, Airbnb.org has connected nearly 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers to free, temporary stays, including refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, and Venezuela, among other countries.
To mark World Refugee Day this year, Airbnb.org launched a $2 million Sponsorship Initiative to further its support for refugees and asylum seekers entering the US. Sponsors provide emotional and financial support to newcomers and help them adjust to life in their new community, but identifying housing is often a challenge. Airbnb.org’s Sponsorship Initiative helps address this barrier by providing grants for housing support to select refugee-focused nonprofit organizations that connect newcomers with sponsors in the US.
Welcoming people in the wake of disaster
In 2023, Airbnb.org also continued to provide emergency housing to those affected by natural disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and fires.
After a series of earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria, Airbnb.org teamed up with organizations like GOAL to provide temporary stays for first responders and relief workers who led search-and-rescue operations and helped survivors. Airbnb.org helped connect more than 1,600 displaced individuals and first responders to emergency stays, including first responders Zehra and Souhel who also lost their home in the quakes2.
“It gave us the room to come back to ourselves and think about what’s going to happen next.”
—Zehra, Airbnb.org guest, Türkiye
Airbnb.org again stepped up to offer support when wildfires devastated Maui. In collaboration with Hawaiʻi Governor Josh Green, Maui Rapid Response, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), and other nonprofit organizations, Airbnb.org committed to providing free, emergency stays for more than 1,000 people displaced by the wildfires. Less than a month later, Airbnb.org met its goal and has connected more than 1,800 people to temporary housing3.
Looking ahead
As Airbnb.org enters its fourth year, the organization continues to innovate and grow by learning from each crisis response. Airbnb.org remains deeply committed to bringing Hosts and guests together in times of crisis and strengthening communities around the world.
Learn more about Airbnb.org’s work by reading their 2023 impact report.
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