Airbnb promises free housing for 20,000 Afghan refugees globally

Airbnb and Airbnb.org said on Tuesday that the firm’s non-profit arm will provide temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide, and the cost of this will be funded through contributions to Airbnb.org from Airbnb and co-founder Brian Chesky, as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.
 
Airbnb.org is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in moments of crisis. It has helped shelter people displaced by natural disasters, and offered thousands of places to stay and peace of mind to frontline workers at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
“Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free,” tweeted Chesky. “The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up,” he added.
 

Over the past four years, Airbnb.org and Airbnb have connected approximately 25,000 refugees — including hundreds participating in the US Special Immigrant Visa Program — to temporary housing. Earlier this year, Airbnb.org announced the creation of the $25-million Refugee Fund, to further expand Airbnb.org’s support of refugees and asylum seekers worldwide, the company said in a statement.
 
Last week, Airbnb.org gave emergency funding and support to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), HIAS and Church World Service to provide immediate temporary stays via the Airbnb platform for up to 1,000 arriving Afghan refugees.
 
Over the past weekend, Airbnb.org worked with partners to place 165 refugees in safe housing shortly after touching down in the US, the firm added.