Want to help refugees from the current crisis in Afghanistan but aren't sure exactly what to do?
Global rental platform Airbnb has stepped up to not only provide free temporary housing for 20,000 Afghan refugees across the world, but also make it easy for anyone to open their own house to those in need.
Via its Airbnb.org nonprofit arm, the company is asking anyone who wants to help — whether or not they are already an Airbnb host — to visit Airbnb.org/refugees to learn how to begin hosting emergency stays. You can offer either free or discounted rates to refugees, and Airbnb will waive all of its fees on those stays.
While the initial temporary housing call was sponsored by Airbnb, Brian Chesky (billionaire and CEO/founder of Airbnb) and others who donated to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, this new program allows anyone in any community to step up. And if you can't open your home, you can still donate to help cover the costs of other stays.
"As the situation on the ground in Afghanistan continues to evolve, Airbnb.org will continue to work closely with resettlement agencies and partners to go where the need goes, and evolve this initiative and support as necessary," says a release, mentioning partners the International Rescue Committee, HIAS and Church World Service.
The rental company is also offering help to governments, from federal to local, that are looking to receive and house refugees.
Airbnb launched Airbnb.org in December 2020 to provide "free and discounted" stays to those impacted by emergencies or those in times of crisis, including frontline workers and other impacted by COVID.
"These stays, which provide alternative accommodation and shelter options, are especially helpful to government and nonprofit partners in a year where the COVID-19 pandemic has made housing vulnerable people in traditional congregate shelters extremely challenging," said Airbnb.
Earlier this year, Airbnb.org created a $25 million Refugee Fund.
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