Airbnb offers to house 40K refugees after reaching original goal, CEO says
Airbnb housed 35% of all Afghan refugees arriving in US
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Airbnb on Tuesday committed to housing 20,000 additional refugees from Afghanistan and other countries.
Refugees from South and Central America and any potential refugees resulting from tensions between Russia and Ukraine will be included in the company's new goal.
Airbnb announced on its website Tuesday that Airbnb.org, which facilitates temporary stays during a crisis, surpassed its previous goal of housing 20,000 Afghan refugees in safer areas, but more work needs to be done.
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"This crisis isn't over, so we're gonna double our goal and house 40,000 Afghan refugees," Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky tweeted.
In August 2021, the company announced that Airbnb.org was working with resettlement agencies and other nonprofit organizations to facilitate the free temporary stays in the wake of the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan, forcing tens of thousands of people to seek asylum.
At the time, Chesky tweeted that Airbnb felt a responsibility to step up and help, calling the "displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABNB | AIRBNB INC. | 132.76 | -0.44 | -0.33% |
The stays, Airbnb said, were being funded in part through contributions to Airbnb.org from Chesky and Airbnb.org co-founder Joe Gebbia. It was also being funded by donations to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.
On Tuesday, Airbnb thanked "the generosity of Airbnb Hosts who stepped up to share their home for free or at a discounted rate."
Because of their efforts, "Airbnb.org was able to provide housing to nearly 1,300 additional Afghan newcomers, in addition to the 20,000 stays fully funded by Airbnb.org and Airbnb," the company said.
AIRBNB COVERING HOUSING FOR 20,000 AFGHAN REFUGEES AROUND THE WORLD
Moving forward, Airbnb said it wants to continue being a "crucial resource for newly arriving Afghans as well as other newcomers, with the goal of providing housing to another 20,000 refugees."
Chesky explained on Twitter that refugee families are placed on a military base after they enter the U.S. At that point, they wait for a resettlement agency or nonprofit to match them with a home in a new community.
"That's where we come in," he tweeted.
Since the crisis, Airbnb and Airbnb.org have been assisting nonprofits "in finding and booking Airbnbs for each refugee family," Chesky wrote. Airbnb also has a specialized team that helps the families check-in and ensures "they have everything they need during their stay," he said.
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To date, have already partnered with 16 resettlement agencies and nonprofits and "housed 35% of all Afghan refugees" arriving into the country, according to Chesky.