Airbnb To Provide Free Housing To 20,000 Afghan Refugees Globally

“Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free,” tweeted Chesky.

Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane along the perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 16, 2021 (AP Photo/Shekib Rahmani)

New Delhi: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on Tuesday announced that from August 24 onwards it is offering free housing to 20,000 refugees globally from Afghanistan which was recently taken over by the Taliban. 

Chesky sought the assistance of hosts who rent out their property through their home-sharing app for more free housing for the people fleeing Afghanistan. 

In order to cover the cost of the housing, the company has set up a special Refugee Fund from its nonprofit Airbnb.org aside from which Chesky will be making contributions himself. Airbnb through its nonprofit will also closely work with NGOs that provide housing in such emergency situations. 

“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 are one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up,” he added.

If you’re willing to host a refugee family, reach out and I’ll connect you with the right people here to make it happen!

— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) August 24, 2021

“As tens of thousands of Afghan refugees resettle around the world, where they stay will be the first chapter in their new lives. 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 in a statement according to TechCrunch.

Though the company hasn't specified how much it is willing to spend or for how long the refugees will be allowed to stay. 

During the weekend, Airbnb.org worked with partners to place 165 refugees in safe housing shortly after touching down in the US, the firm added in its statement. The company also said, that through the nonprofit it 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 years, Airbnb has provided temporary housing to about 25,000 refugees over the past four years. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Airbnb provided free or subsidized housing for 100,000 healthcare workers.