Airbnb and Airbnb.org are announcing that Airbnb.org will offer free, short-term housing to up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine. These stays will be funded by Airbnb, Inc., donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, and the generosity of Hosts through Airbnb.org.
Yesterday, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, Airbnb co-founder and Airbnb.org Chairman Joe Gebbia, and Airbnb Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk sent letters to leaders across Europe, starting with the leaders of Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania, offering support in welcoming refugees within their borders. While Airbnb.org is committing to facilitate short-term housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine, it will work closely with governments to best support the specific needs in each country, including by providing longer-term stays.
Yesterday’s announcement builds on the ongoing work of Airbnb.org to support refugees and other displaced people around the world. Last week, the organization announced that it has provided housing to 21,300 Afghan refugees, and it set a new goal of providing free, temporary housing to another 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan, Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, and other regions. Airbnb.org’s offer to provide housing to up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine is in addition to this broader effort.
Over the past five years, Airbnb and Airbnb.org have connected more than 54,000 refugees and asylees – including from Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan – to temporary housing through Airbnb.org partners. Last year, Airbnb.org announced the creation of its Refugee Fund and has galvanized more than 4,000 donors to further support its work with refugees and asylum seekers worldwide.
Along with supporting refugees, Airbnb.org has nearly a decade of experience in providing emergency accommodations to those in need. In 2020, Hosts on Airbnb around the world opened their doors to tens of thousands of frontline workers fighting the spread of Covid-19, including healthcare professionals and relief workers, in partnership with the NHS in the UK, Mexican Red Cross, 1199SEIU and New York State, the City of New Orleans, Los Angeles County and organizations in Italy and France. Last year, Airbnb.org also activated its emergency response program to provide those affected by the devastating floods across Western Europe.
We know that Hosts and guests on Airbnb around the world will be eager to stand up and assist this massive effort to help those fleeing Ukraine. In the coming days, Airbnb and Airbnb.org will share additional details on how Hosts and the broader community can support this initiative, including by offering free or discounted stays.
Airbnb and Airbnb.org
Airbnb.org will work directly through nonprofits on the ground, who are responsible for booking and coordinating stays for refugee guests, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, or how they identify. As Airbnb.org works to establish partners in each country, refugees and asylum seekers fleeing Ukraine who are in need of immediate support can get connected to available resources from the UN Refugee Agency.
