Airbnb offers ‘a night on us’ to help federal employees during shutdown

The travel app Airbnb is rolling out a new program to help federal workers impacted by the ongoing government shutdown by offering a “night on us.”

The program announced Wednesday will give all executive branch employees who use their home to host an Airbnb user for at least three nights anytime between Dec. 18 and March 18 an extra night of income.

Airbnb said the extra night of income is worth up to $110, which is the average per night made by U.S. hosts.

{mosads}“This past Friday, hundreds of thousands of federal workers went without a paycheck, even as they continue to face daily expenses and other financial obligations,” the company wrote in a press release. “Americans with all perspectives have expressed sympathy for those who have been impacted, and like others, we are called to action to help the many members of our host community who are included in that group.”

The program is available nationwide to all hosts who are federal employees, though only in the executive branch.

The accommodation marketplace said that 57 percent of its hosts say they open up their home to help afford their mortgage. The company estimates that the average host earns roughly $8,700 a year through the platform, which could be much-needed supplemental income for furloughed federal employees in their fourth week of the partial government shutdown.

The company noted that payouts for those who utilize the program won’t happen until shortly after March 18.