Airbnb And Airbnb.org To Provide Temporary Housing For Afghan Refugees

Vacation rental site Airbnb Inc ABNB has helped people around the world with temporary stays during times of crisis through its non-profit arm. The company announced Tuesday it will help with the effort to aid Afghan refugees.

What Happened: Airbnb.org, an independent 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, and Airbnb will provide temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide.

“In this past week, it has become abundantly clear that the displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees here in the United States and elsewhere is a significant humanitarian crisis — and in the face of this need, our community is ready to once again step up,” Airbnb said Tuesday in a statement.

Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free.

— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021

The cost of the stays will be funded through contributions to Airbnb.org from Airbnb and its co-founder Brian Chesky and donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

Airbnb said it will work closely with resettlement agencies and partners to evolve on the initiative and offer support.

“For these 20,000 refugees, my hope is that the Airbnb community will provide them with not only a safe place to rest and start over but also a warm welcome home,” Chesky said.

Airbnb said hosts around the world can help support the initiative with details to come soon.

“While we will be paying for these stays, we could not do this without the generosity of our Hosts,” Chesky tweeted.

Related Link: Airbnb IPO: 5 Key Takeaways Investors Need To Know

Why It’s Important: Airbnb’s nonprofit has offered temporary stays to more than 25,000 refugees as part of the U.S. Special Immigrant Visa Program. A $25 million Refugee Fund was created by Airbnb.org earlier this year.

The company has helped in times of crisis including natural disasters and offered temporary stays for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airbnb will likely be seen as a company doing the right thing to help those in a time of need. The company could generate some positive press from the move.

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay