US: Airbnb.org is to provide free, temporary housing for people who have been impacted and / or displaced by Category Four Hurricane Helene in several US states.
The non-profit organisation, which is run independently from Airbnb, is specifically working with the Florida United Methodist Conference [FLUMC] and 211 contact centres in Florida and North Carolina to offer free, temporary housing. Stays are completely free for guests and are being funded by Airbnb.org and the generosity of Airbnb hosts, many of whom are offering their home for free or at a discount through Airbnb.org.
Impacted residents can request assistance for temporary housing support from Airbnb.org in the following ways:
- Florida: Florida residents displaced by the hurricane are being advised to contact FLUMC by calling [863] 688-5563 or [800] 282-8011 [toll-free] or by contacting their local 211, which they can find at 211.org.
- North Carolina: North Carolina residents displaced by the hurricane should contact their local 211 contact centre.
To further support communities impacted by the hurricane, Airbnb has activated its major disruptive events policy for severely impacted areas of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It enables hosts to cancel eligible stays in those areas without consequences, and guests who have an eligible booking in these areas are able to cancel for a refund.
At the time of writing, 166 people are known to have died from the effects of the tropical storm, while more than a million people remain without power and have been displaced.
Roy Cooper, governor of North Carolina, said: “Hurricane Helene devastated Western Carolina and we’re working hard to make sure everyone impacted has a safe place to stay following the storm. We appreciate Airbnb.org stepping up to provide free temporary housing to those in need and collaborating with other local organisations during this challenging time.”
Tori Greer of Florida 211 Network said: “With thousands of people impacted by Hurricane Helene, we need all the help we can get to keep our community safe. We are incredibly grateful to Airbnb.org for helping to ensure our residents have a safe place to stay.”
Since its establishment in December 2020, Airbnb.org has provided more than 1.6 million nights of emergency stays for approximately 240,000 people around the world. The organisation uses the Airbnb platform and hosts – as well as a global network of non-profit partners – to quickly connect people who need a place to stay with Airbnb hosts who can open their homes for free or at a discount.
Already this year, Airbnb.org has offered free, temporary housing to people displaced by wildfires in San Bernardino, California and Jasper, Canada, Hurricane Beryl in Houston, floods in Brazil, and an earthquake in Japan’s Noto Peninsula.
Those interested in offering free or discounted stays to people impacted by the hurricane should visit the Airbnb.org website for more information on how to sign up to host. Airbnb waives all service fees for Airbnb.org hosts and guests, and hosts sharing their home through Airbnb.org receive damage protection and liability with Airbnb’s host protection AirCover for each booking.
Donations to support people impacted by Hurricane Helene can also be made at the Airbnb.org platform.
Last December, Christophe Gorder was appointed to lead Airbnb.org as its new executive director, having previously served as the chief global water officer of fellow non-profit organisation charity: water and led disaster response operations at Americares.
