Story at a glance:
- Airbnb.org, the nonprofit arm of the room renting service, is providing housing for 20,000 Afghans around the world.
- Airbnb.org and Airbnb have helped 25,000 refugees over four years find temporary housing.
- The nonprofit announced the creation of its $25 million Refugee Fund to further its mission to support refugees and asylum seekers worldwide.
Airbnb.org, the nonprofit arm of the rental company, is providing free housing around the world to 20,000 Afghan refugees who had to leave their homes as the Taliban continues to take control.
Airbnb.org gets funding from Airbnb, its CEO and co-founder of the company Brian Chesky and donors to the nonprofit’s refugee fund, the company told Changing America.
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“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 Tuesday.
Last week, the company also gave emergency funding and support to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), HIAS, a Jewish American nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees, and Church World Service. The funding will help provide immediate temporary stays through the Airbnb platform to 1,000 Afghan refugees.
“As the IRC helps to welcome and resettle Afghans in the U.S., accessible housing is urgently needed and essential. We are grateful to our partners at Airbnb.org and Airbnb for once again offering their support and infrastructure to meet this moment, providing safe and welcoming places for individuals and families as they arrive in the United States and begin rebuilding their lives,” David Miliband, president and CEO of the IRC, said in a statement.
Airbnb.org and Airbnb have helped 25,000 refugees over fours receive temporary housing. Many participated in the Special Immigrant Visa Program, a program that allows Afghans who worked for the U.S. to relocate safely in the country.
This year, the nonprofit also announced the creation of its $25 million Refugee Fund to further its mission to support refugees and asylum seekers worldwide.
As Changing America previously reported, there is bipartisan support in pressuring President Biden to grant Afghans who worked with American forces a visa to come to the country.
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