US: Workbnb, a lodging platform specialising in workforce rental homes for construction workers and other workforce travellers within the skilled trades, has called on the short-term rental sector to support emergency workers operating in Houston in the wake of Hurricane Beryl.
Hurricane Beryl became the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane on record in the Caribbean, the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf Coast of the United States in late June and early July, and caused significant damage to power lines, substations and other critical infrastructure.
The hurricane has knocked out power to millions of homes across Houston, where officials on Monday extended a disaster declaration as recovery continues. Early damage estimates range from $28 billion to $32 billion.
Linemen and other utility engineers continue to travel to the city in hopes to speed up emergency repair work — but housing remains an issue.
The storm’s hurricane-strength winds severely impacted power infrastructure, including downing trees and electricity poles. Work is expected to continue for months, and Yeves Perez, co-founder and CEO of Workbnb, has issued an appeal to rental owners and operators to collaborate to provide suitable accommodation for the workers.
The appeal comes as tensions rise in the city, with reports of linemen coming under attack as frustrated locals deal with ongoing power outages.
Perez said: “Housing is broken. Workbnb was just in Dallas participating in the Good Soil Forum pitch competition raising awareness of the plight of essential workers, and less than a month later, we are witnessing a catastrophe where linemen from 17 states are sleeping in trucks, tents or camps at staging sites.
“I am declaring a state of emergency for Houston’s short-term rental industry and calling on citizens to pivot their empty rentals away from vacation travel and embrace workforce travel by displaying some of that world famous southern hospitality for out-of-state line workers,” he added.
One Houston-based rental operator, Tope O., recently signed up several duplex properties to Workbnb after hearing calls to support the emergency work efforts.
They said: “Relief workers are pivotal to any recovery process, and it’s crucial that they feel supported by both their organisation and the communities they serve. By offering my properties, I aim to ensure that these dedicated individuals have a comfortable and reliable place to stay.
“I encourage other rental operators to join in this effort, as our collective support can significantly enhance the effectiveness and morale of the relief teams working tirelessly to rebuild and restore our communities,” they added.
Workbnb is also in direct communication with local utility firms to fill the rentals with workers urgently.
Chris Hartshorn, chief financial officer of Workbnb, said: “This is our opportunity to also support the utilities with better payment arrangements, so workers can check-in immediately to workforce rentals near staging areas and differentiate from incumbents who remain inflexible in times of crisis.”
So-called workforce rentals are growing in popularity across the United States. In particular, there is increased demand for housing for blue-collar workers as the US Government invests billions of dollars in infrastructure projects, including bridges and roads.
Meanwhile, the CHIPS and Science Act [Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors] and its associated subsidiaries has prompted further investment into semiconductor manufacturing, while Amazon and other technology companies up the pace of building data centres to support spiralling artificial intelligence usage.
Perez believes that more rental owners are turning to mid-term rentals to meet this demand, as well as in response to stricter regulations imposed by a number of states clamping down on stays of under 30 nights. According to local media, some areas in Houston have been suffering from unruly behaviour due to short-term renting.
