Airbnb announced on Monday that it will offer free, temporary housing to up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
The stays will be funded by donations to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, while the help offered by the hosts themselves on the platform is also important.
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Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, called on people to open their homes in Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania to help their fellow Ukrainians who are being forced to flee their country due to the war situation with Russia.
Chesky and two other Airbnb executives sent letters to European leaders of countries bordering Ukraine to offer Airbnb’s support with housing refugees. While the housing will be temporary, the company said it “will work closely with governments to better support the specific needs in each country, including providing long-term stays.”
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Airbnb recognizes that due to the situation, some Ukrainian citizens in need of housing may not have access to devices or the internet to book accommodations on the platform. For this reason, the company said it will partner with “non-profit organizations that are responsible for booking and coordinating accommodations for refugee guests, regardless of nationality, race, etc.”
The refugee housing is part of Airbnb.org, an independent nonprofit that was launched in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The organization provides temporary housing to people in such critical situations. Over the summer, Airbnb announced it would host 20,000 Afghans for free.
Learn more: Airbnb: Will host 20,000 Afghan refugees for free
The situation is critical, with over 500,000 Ukrainian refugees having entered surrounding countries in recent days as the Russian invasion escalates. The European Union is asking member states to grant temporary asylum to all arriving Ukrainians for up to three years.
Source: CNN International
